Baltimore, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21218
Baltimore County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 49,796
- 4,596/sq mi
- $62,488
- Median income
- $242,500
- Median home value
- 44.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Baltimore pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 34th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 44%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4,596
- people per sq mi
- 48%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21218 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 21218 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 10.8 square miles in Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland. The area is home to 49,796 residents, producing a population density of 4,596 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 21218 against Maryland and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21218 sits at $62,488 (45% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $40,962. The poverty rate stands at 21.6% and the unemployment rate at 7.3%. On housing, the median home value is $242,500 (46% below the state average) with median rent at $1,264 per month, and 48.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21218 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 44.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35, and the average commute is 29 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Baltimore County, so you can benchmark 21218 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 21218
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21218.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
134 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
111 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
109 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
106 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
80 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21218, Baltimore, MD · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
49,796
Population
10.8
Area (sq mi)
4,596
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21218?
35.0
Median Age
48.3%
Male
51.7%
Female
10.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$62,488
Median Household Income
-45% vs state
$40,962
Per Capita Income
21.6%
Poverty Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
28.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 21218 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$62,488 34th percentile higher than 34% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
21,738
Total Housing Units
18,703
Occupied Units
3,035
Vacant Units
2.09
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$242,500
Median Home Value
-46% vs state
$1,264
Median Rent
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.8%
YoY Change (2024)
320
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+220%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 21218 have increased 3.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +220% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.5% | 228 |
| 2021 | +11.2% | 253 |
| 2022 | +12.4% | 285 |
| 2023 | +8.2% | 308 |
| 2024 | +3.8% | 320 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 764 business establishments in ZIP 21218, employing approximately 44,841 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,744,713,000.
764
Businesses
44,841
Employees
$3.7B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 134 | 17.5% |
| Retail trade | 111 | 14.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 109 | 14.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 106 | 13.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 80 | 10.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 46 | 6.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 26 | 3.4% |
| Educational services | 24 | 3.1% |
| Construction | 23 | 3.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 20 | 2.6% |
| Information | 16 | 2.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15 | 2.0% |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 1.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 12 | 1.6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3 | 0.4% |
| Industries not classified | 3 | 0.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 21218 vs 21211 →
ZIP 21218 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21218
Baltimore (21218)
49,796 residents
- 21217
Baltimore (21217)
37,111 residents
- 21213
Baltimore (21213)
32,733 residents
- 21212
Baltimore (21212)
32,322 residents
- 21239
Baltimore (21239)
28,793 residents
- 21202
Baltimore (21202)
22,832 residents
- 21211 17,351
Baltimore (21211)
17,351 residents
- 21201 16,972
Baltimore (21201)
16,972 residents
- 21231 15,748
Baltimore (21231)
15,748 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21218 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21218 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21210
Baltimore (21210)
$112,428 median income
- 21212
Baltimore (21212)
$96,685 median income
- 21231
Baltimore (21231)
$85,254 median income
- 21211
Baltimore (21211)
$82,828 median income
- 21239
Baltimore (21239)
$62,650 median income
- 21218
Baltimore (21218)
$62,488 median income
- 21202
Baltimore (21202)
$59,377 median income
- 21213
Baltimore (21213)
$51,344 median income
- 21201
Baltimore (21201)
$45,640 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21218 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21211 | Baltimore, MD | 17,351 | 2.0 mi |
| 21202 | Baltimore, MD | 22,832 | 2.3 mi |
| 21251 | Baltimore, MD | 934 | 1.7 mi |
| 21213 | Baltimore, MD | 32,733 | 1.7 mi |
| 21212 | Baltimore, MD | 32,322 | 2.7 mi |
| 21239 | Baltimore, MD | 28,793 | 2.7 mi |
| 21231 | Baltimore, MD | 15,748 | 3.0 mi |
| 21201 | Baltimore, MD | 16,972 | 2.6 mi |
| 21217 | Baltimore, MD | 37,111 | 2.4 mi |
| 21210 | Baltimore, MD | 14,292 | 2.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Baltimore County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 21218 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 21218? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 21218? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 21218? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21218? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21218? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21218? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21218? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 21218? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 21218? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21218? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21218? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Baltimore, MD
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.