Lonaconing, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21539

Allegany County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

2,819
31/sq mi
$57,708
Median income
$130,200
Median home value
16.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lonaconing pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

25th pct
household income, US ZIPs
20th pct
home value, US ZIPs
31
people per sq mi
64%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21539 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21539 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 89.8 square miles in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland. The area is home to 2,819 residents, producing a population density of 31 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 21539 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21539 sits at $57,708 (49% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $29,790. The poverty rate stands at 19.5% and the unemployment rate at 2.1%. On housing, the median home value is $130,200 (71% below the state average) with median rent at $874 per month, and 63.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21539 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.6, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Allegany County, so you can benchmark 21539 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 21539

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21539.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21539, Lonaconing, 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

2,819

Population

89.8

Area (sq mi)

31

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 21539?

45.6

Median Age

52.0%

Male

48.0%

Female

2.5%

Foreign-Born

White 94.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

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?

$57,708

Median Household Income

-49% vs state

$29,790

Per Capita Income

19.5%

Poverty Rate

2.1%

Unemployment Rate

26.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21539 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$57,708 25th percentile higher than 25% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 66.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,141

Total Housing Units

885

Occupied Units

256

Vacant Units

2.18

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 63.6%
Renter 36.4%

$130,200

Median Home Value

-71% vs state

$874

Median Rent

1953

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 21539, employing approximately 311 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,085,000.

34

Businesses

311

Employees

$10.1M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 7 20.6%
Construction 6 17.6%
Health care and social assistance 6 17.6%
Other services (except public administration) 5 14.7%
Transportation and warehousing 3 8.8%

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 21539 vs 21542 →

ZIP 21539 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 21539 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 21539 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 21539 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
21542 Midland, MD 483 3.4 mi
21521 Barton, MD 1,265 3.9 mi
21543 Midlothian, MD 140 4.5 mi
21532 Frostburg, MD 15,620 4.9 mi
21562 Westernport, MD 3,141 6.9 mi
26750 Piedmont, WV 891 8.7 mi
21540 Luke, MD 65 8.8 mi
21557 Rawlings, MD 1,895 7.3 mi
21523 Bloomington, MD 286 9.0 mi
21545 Mount Savage, MD 1,940 10.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Allegany County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21539 in?
ZIP code 21539 (Lonaconing) is located in Allegany County, Maryland. Allegany County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/allegany-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21539?
ZIP code 21539 in Lonaconing, MD has a population of 2,819 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21539?
The median household income in ZIP 21539 is $57,708, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21539?
The median home value in ZIP 21539 is $130,200, which is 53% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21539?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21539 is White at 94.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21539?
ZIP code 21539 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 311 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21539?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21539 are: Retail trade (7), Construction (6), Health care and social assistance (6). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21539?
In ZIP code 21539, 66.1% 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 21539?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21539 is 26.7 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 21539?
In ZIP code 21539, approximately 63.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21539?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21539 is 19.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Lonaconing, MD

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.