Rawlings, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21557
Allegany County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,895
- 27/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $34,936
- Median income Below-median income area
- $123,300
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 19.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rawlings pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 18th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 27
- people per sq mi
- 75%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21557 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 21557 covers 69.7 square miles in Rawlings, Allegany County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,895 residents on file, a density of 27 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21557 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $34,936 (69% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,039. The poverty rate is 13.9%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $123,300 (72% below the average Maryland ZIP); owner occupancy is 74.8%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.3, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Allegany County, so 21557 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 →
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 21557, Rawlings, 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
1,895
Population
69.7
Area (sq mi)
27
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21557?
45.3
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
4.5%
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?
$34,936
Median Household Income
-69% vs state ZIP avg
$29,039
Per Capita Income
13.9%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 21557 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Rawlings, 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)
$34,936 0th percentile higher than 0% 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
817housing units
817
Total Housing Units
715
Occupied Units
102
Vacant Units
2.07
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$123,300
Median Home Value
-72% vs state ZIP avg
1964
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 21557, employing approximately 46 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,030,000.
17
Businesses
46
Employees
$2.0M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 35.3% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 17.6% |
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 21557 vs 21542 →
ZIP 21557 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21532
Frostburg (21532)
15,620 residents
- 26753
Ridgeley (26753)
6,254 residents
- 21562 3,141
Westernport (21562)
3,141 residents
- 21539 2,819
Lonaconing (21539)
2,819 residents
- 26719 2,785
Fort Ashby (26719)
2,785 residents
- 21557 1,895
Rawlings (21557)
1,895 residents
- 21521 1,265
Barton (21521)
1,265 residents
- 26750 891
Piedmont (26750)
891 residents
- 21542 483
Midland (21542)
483 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21557 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21557 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21540
Luke (21540)
$81,250 median income
- 26753
Ridgeley (26753)
$73,694 median income
- 21521
Barton (21521)
$64,194 median income
- 21532
Frostburg (21532)
$63,690 median income
- 21539
Lonaconing (21539)
$57,708 median income
- 26719
Fort Ashby (26719)
$54,167 median income
- 21562
Westernport (21562)
$47,500 median income
- 26750
Piedmont (26750)
$42,500 median income
- 21557
Rawlings (21557)
$34,936 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21557 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21542 | Midland, MD | 483 | 5.5 mi |
| 21562 | Westernport, MD | 3,141 | 6.9 mi |
| 21521 | Barton, MD | 1,265 | 6.5 mi |
| 26750 | Piedmont, WV | 891 | 7.1 mi |
| 21543 | Midlothian, MD | 140 | 9.2 mi |
| 21539 | Lonaconing, MD | 2,819 | 7.3 mi |
| 21532 | Frostburg, MD | 15,620 | 9.6 mi |
| 26753 | Ridgeley, WV | 6,254 | 7.8 mi |
| 21540 | Luke, MD | 65 | 7.9 mi |
| 26719 | Fort Ashby, WV | 2,785 | 8.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 21557, 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 (1,895 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Allegany County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 21557 in?
ZIP code 21557 (Rawlings) 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 21557?
ZIP code 21557 in Rawlings, MD has a population of 1,895 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21557?
The median household income in ZIP 21557 is $34,936, which is 54% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21557?
The median home value in ZIP 21557 is $123,300, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21557?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21557 is White at 95.5%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21557?
ZIP code 21557 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 46 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21557?
In ZIP code 21557, 63.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21557?
In ZIP code 21557, approximately 74.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21557?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21557 is 13.9% 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 21557's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21557 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rawlings, 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.