Swanton, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21561
Garrett County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,627
- 11/sq mi Low-density area
- $73,858
- Median income Near-median income area
- $328,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 38.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Swanton pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 29%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 88%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21561 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 21561 (Swanton, MD) rose +23.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 276.0 in 2023 to 341.0 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 21561 covers 241.0 square miles in Swanton, Garrett County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,627 residents on file, a density of 11 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21561 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,858 (35% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $52,272. The poverty rate is 10.6%, with unemployment at 0.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $328,700 (27% below the average Maryland ZIP); owner occupancy is 87.8%.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 38.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 57, and the average commute is 31 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Garrett County, so 21561 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 21561
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Swanton, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21561.
- Construction
Construction
12 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 4
Real estate and rental and leasing
4 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3 establishments
- Educational services 3
Educational services
3 establishments
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
3 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 21561, Swanton, 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
2,627
Population
241.0
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21561?
57.0
Median Age
48.3%
Male
51.7%
Female
2.4%
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?
$73,858
Median Household Income
-35% vs state ZIP avg
$52,272
Per Capita Income
10.6%
Poverty Rate
0.3%
Unemployment Rate
31.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 21561 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Swanton, 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)
$73,858 18th percentile higher than 18% 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
2,560housing units
2,560
Total Housing Units
1,107
Occupied Units
1,453
Vacant Units
2.16
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$328,700
Median Home Value
-27% vs state ZIP avg
1983
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
+23.5%
YoY Change (2024)
341
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+241%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 21561 have increased 23.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +241% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.8% | 196 |
| 2021 | +14.2% | 224 |
| 2022 | +32.7% | 297 |
| 2023 | -7.0% | 276 |
| 2024 | +23.5% | 341 |
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 36 business establishments in ZIP 21561, employing approximately 100 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,230,000.
36
Businesses
100
Employees
$5.2M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 12 | 33.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 11.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 8.3% |
| Educational services | 3 | 8.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 8.3% |
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 21561 vs 21538 →
ZIP 21561 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21561
Swanton (21561)
2,627 residents
- 21520
Accident (21520)
2,074 residents
- 21538 716
Kitzmiller (21538)
716 residents
- 21523 286
Bloomington (21523)
286 residents
- 21522 141
Bittinger (21522)
141 residents
- 21540 65
Luke (21540)
65 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21561 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21561 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
- 21561
Swanton (21561)
$73,858 median income
- 21538
Kitzmiller (21538)
$61,250 median income
- 21520
Accident (21520)
$59,852 median income
- 21523
Bloomington (21523)
$59,063 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21561 ranks #2 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 21561, 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 (2,627 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 21561 in?
ZIP code 21561 (Swanton) 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 21561?
ZIP code 21561 in Swanton, MD has a population of 2,627 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21561?
The median household income in ZIP 21561 is $73,858, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21561?
The median home value in ZIP 21561 is $328,700, which is 18% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21561?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21561 is White at 93.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21561?
ZIP code 21561 has 36 business establishments employing approximately 100 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21561?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21561 are: Construction (12), Real estate and rental and leasing (4), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21561?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21561 increased by 23.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 241%. 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 21561?
In ZIP code 21561, 64.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 38.0% 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 21561?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21561 is 31.1 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 21561?
In ZIP code 21561, approximately 87.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21561?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21561 is 10.6% 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 21561's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21561 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Swanton, 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.