PlainZIP

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 a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland, with 49,796 residents across 10.8 square miles, a density of 4,596 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21218 reports a modest median household income of $62,488 (45% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $40,962. 21.6% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 7.3%. Housing costs here run $242,500 for a typical home value (46% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,264 a month; 48.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 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 on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 21218

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Baltimore, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21218.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 21218?

35.0

Median Age

48.3%

Male

51.7%

Female

10.0%

Foreign-Born

White 27.7%
African American 58.8%
Asian 4.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%

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

Baltimore, MD 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

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 70.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 44.7%

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

Owner 48.1%
Renter 51.9%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21218 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 21218 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
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

21215 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 60,161
21206 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 50,846
21224 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 49,134
21229 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 45,213
21217 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 37,111
21230 standard
Baltimore, MD
Pop: 33,568

Related Areas

Baltimore County Baltimore, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21218 in? ▼
ZIP code 21218 (Baltimore) is located in Baltimore County, Maryland. Baltimore County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/baltimore-md-24510.
What is the population of ZIP code 21218? ▼
ZIP code 21218 in Baltimore, MD has a population of 49,796 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21218? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21218 is $62,488, which is 18% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21218? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21218 is $242,500, which is 13% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21218? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21218 is African American at 58.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21218? ▼
ZIP code 21218 has 764 business establishments employing approximately 44,841 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21218? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21218 are: Health care and social assistance (134), Retail trade (111), Other services (except public administration) (109). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21218? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21218 increased by 3.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 220%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21218? ▼
In ZIP code 21218, 70.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 44.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 21218? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21218 is 28.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21218? ▼
In ZIP code 21218, approximately 48.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 51.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21218? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21218 is 21.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.