Friendsville, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21531
Garrett County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,227
- 14/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $63,750
- Median income Near-median income area
- $180,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 16.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Friendsville pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 36th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 14
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21531 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 21531 covers 160.2 square miles in Friendsville, Garrett County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,227 residents on file, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21531 reports a modest median household income of $63,750 (44% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,382. The poverty rate is 18.7%, with unemployment at 5.8%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $180,300 (60% below the average Maryland ZIP), and median rent is $575; owner occupancy is 84.8%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.8, and the average commute is 33 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Garrett County, so 21531 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 21531
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Friendsville, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21531.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
9 establishments
- Construction
Construction
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
4 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
4 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21531, Friendsville, 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
2,227
Population
160.2
Area (sq mi)
14
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21531?
48.8
Median Age
52.1%
Male
47.9%
Female
0.2%
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?
$63,750
Median Household Income
-44% vs state ZIP avg
$33,382
Per Capita Income
18.7%
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Unemployment Rate
32.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 21531 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Friendsville, MD household income vs. every Maryland ZIP code
Median household income among 419 reporting Maryland ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$63,750 11th percentile higher than 11% of 419 Maryland ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Maryland 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,351housing units
1,351
Total Housing Units
1,101
Occupied Units
250
Vacant Units
2.26
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$180,300
Median Home Value
-60% vs state ZIP avg
$575
Median Rent
1983
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 47 business establishments in ZIP 21531, employing approximately 259 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,669,000.
47
Businesses
259
Employees
$7.7M
Annual Payroll
7
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 9 | 19.1% |
| Construction | 6 | 12.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 10.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 4 | 8.5% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 8.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 6.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 6.4% |
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 21531 vs 21520 →
ZIP 21531 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21531
Friendsville (21531)
2,227 residents
- 21520
Accident (21520)
2,074 residents
- 15459
Markleysburg (15459)
1,763 residents
- 21541
Mc Henry (21541)
1,546 residents
- 15411 661
Addison (15411)
661 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21531 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21531 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21541
Mc Henry (21541)
$82,955 median income
- 15459
Markleysburg (15459)
$71,250 median income
- 15411
Addison (15411)
$68,125 median income
- 21531
Friendsville (21531)
$63,750 median income
- 21520
Accident (21520)
$59,852 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21531 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 21531, both outside MD so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,227 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Garrett County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 21531 in?
ZIP code 21531 (Friendsville) is located in Garrett County, Maryland. Garrett County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/garrett-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21531?
ZIP code 21531 in Friendsville, MD has a population of 2,227 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21531?
The median household income in ZIP 21531 is $63,750, which is 16% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21531?
The median home value in ZIP 21531 is $180,300, which is 35% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21531?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21531 is White at 95.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21531?
ZIP code 21531 has 47 business establishments employing approximately 259 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21531?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21531 are: Retail trade (9), Construction (6), Other services (except public administration) (5). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21531?
In ZIP code 21531, 63.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.8% 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 21531?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21531 is 32.9 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 21531?
In ZIP code 21531, approximately 84.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21531?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21531 is 18.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 21531's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21531 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Friendsville, MD ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.