Oakland, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21550
Garrett County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,194
- 27/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $64,921
- Median income Near-median income area
- $233,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 27.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Oakland pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 38th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 47%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 27
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21550 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 21550 (Oakland, MD) rose +8.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 261.8 in 2023 to 282.8 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 21550 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Oakland, Garrett County, Maryland, home to 14,194 residents across 525.7 square miles, a density of 27 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21550 reports a modest median household income of $64,921 (43% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $45,503. The poverty rate is 11.3%, with unemployment at 4.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $233,300 (48% below the average Maryland ZIP), and median rent is $803; owner occupancy is 76.4%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.4, and the average commute is 19 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Garrett County, so 21550 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 21550
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Oakland, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21550.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
87 establishments
- Construction
Construction
82 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
60 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
48 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
48 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 21550, Oakland, 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
14,194
Population
525.7
Area (sq mi)
27
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21550?
49.4
Median Age
49.5%
Male
50.5%
Female
1.4%
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?
$64,921
Median Household Income
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$45,503
Per Capita Income
11.3%
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
19.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 21550 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Oakland, 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)
$64,921 12th percentile higher than 12% 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
8,529housing units
8,529
Total Housing Units
6,100
Occupied Units
2,429
Vacant Units
2.20
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$233,300
Median Home Value
-48% vs state ZIP avg
$803
Median Rent
1980
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
+8.0%
YoY Change (2024)
283
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+183%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 21550 have increased 8.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +183% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.3% | 181 |
| 2021 | +14.2% | 207 |
| 2022 | +16.5% | 241 |
| 2023 | +8.7% | 262 |
| 2024 | +8.0% | 283 |
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 521 business establishments in ZIP 21550, employing approximately 6,184 people with a combined annual payroll of $262,873,000.
521
Businesses
6,184
Employees
$262.9M
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 87 | 16.7% |
| Construction | 82 | 15.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 60 | 11.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 48 | 9.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 48 | 9.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 41 | 7.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 34 | 6.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 4.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 22 | 4.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 19 | 3.6% |
| Manufacturing | 16 | 3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 1.7% |
| Information | 8 | 1.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 6 | 1.1% |
| Utilities | 5 | 1.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 | 0.8% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 3 | 0.6% |
| Educational services | 3 | 0.6% |
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 21550 vs 26720 →
ZIP 21550 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21550
Oakland (21550)
14,194 residents
- 26739 889
Mount Storm (26739)
889 residents
- 26716 706
Eglon (26716)
706 residents
- 26720 174
Gormania (26720)
174 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21550 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21550 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 26716
Eglon (26716)
$80,375 median income
- 21550
Oakland (21550)
$64,921 median income
- 26720
Gormania (26720)
$51,771 median income
- 26739
Mount Storm (26739)
$42,000 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21550 ranks #2 of 4 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 21550, 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 (14,194 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 21550 in?
ZIP code 21550 (Oakland) 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 21550?
ZIP code 21550 in Oakland, MD has a population of 14,194 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21550?
The median household income in ZIP 21550 is $64,921, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21550?
The median home value in ZIP 21550 is $233,300, which is 16% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21550?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21550 is White at 95.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21550?
ZIP code 21550 has 521 business establishments employing approximately 6,184 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21550?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21550 are: Retail trade (87), Construction (82), Health care and social assistance (60). There are 18 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21550?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21550 increased by 8.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 183%. 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 21550?
In ZIP code 21550, 66.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.6% 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 21550?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21550 is 19.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21550?
In ZIP code 21550, approximately 76.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21550?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21550 is 11.3% 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 21550's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21550 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Oakland, 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.