Ridgely, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21660

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

4,063
47/sq mi: $80,469
Median income: $359,300
Median home value: 17.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Ridgely pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 37%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 25%
home value, US ZIPs: 47
people per sq mi: 77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21660 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21660 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 85.7 square miles in Ridgely, Caroline County, Maryland. The area is home to 4,063 residents, producing a population density of 47 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 21660 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21660 sits at $80,469 (29% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $34,931. The poverty rate stands at 8.1% and the unemployment rate at 9.5%. On housing, the median home value is $359,300 (20% below the state average) with median rent at $945 per month, and 77.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21660 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 17.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is 40 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Caroline County, so you can benchmark 21660 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 21660

Construction

14
Other services (except public administration)

9
Transportation and warehousing

7
Wholesale trade

5
Retail trade

5

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21660, Ridgely, MD · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

4,063

Population

85.7

Area (sq mi)

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 21660?

35.6

Median Age

47.6%

Male

52.4%

Female

1.5%

Foreign-Born

White 82.8%

African American 8.0%

Asian 0.9%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%

Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

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?

$80,469

Median Household Income

-29% vs state

$34,931

Per Capita Income

8.1%

Poverty Rate

9.5%

Unemployment Rate

39.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21660 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$80,469 Top 37% higher than 63% of 30,318 US ZIPs

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 53.1%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.3%

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

What does housing look like?

1,516

Total Housing Units

1,457

Occupied Units

Vacant Units

2.77

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.1%

Renter 22.9%

$359,300

Median Home Value

-20% vs state

$945

Median Rent

1990

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

-0.8%

YoY Change (2024)

259

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+159%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21660 have decreased 0.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +159% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+5.6%	192
2021	+8.8%	209
2022	+22.7%	256
2023	+1.6%	261
2024	-0.8%	259

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 69 business establishments in ZIP 21660, employing approximately 861 people with a combined annual payroll of $43,083,000.

Businesses

861

Employees

$43.1M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	14	20.3%
Other services (except public administration)	9	13.0%
Transportation and warehousing	7	10.1%
Wholesale trade	5	7.3%
Retail trade	5	7.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	5	7.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	5	7.3%
Manufacturing	4	5.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	4	5.8%
Finance and insurance	3	4.3%

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 21660 vs 21641 →

21617

9,907
21629

9,555
21639

4,408
21660

4,063
21625

2,719
21640

1,632
21636

1,186
21657

777
21641

117

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21660 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

21617

$116,898
21657

$104,940
21625

$83,250
21660

$80,469
21629

$73,956
21636

$73,426
21641

$66,875
21639

$62,772
21640

$53,558

What this shows By household income, ZIP 21660 ranks #4 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
21641	Hillsboro, MD	117	3.8 mi
21657	Queen Anne, MD	777	5.1 mi
21639	Greensboro, MD	4,408	5.2 mi
21636	Goldsboro, MD	1,186	6.6 mi
21629	Denton, MD	9,555	7.3 mi
21640	Henderson, MD	1,632	8.7 mi
21625	Cordova, MD	2,719	8.1 mi
21617	Centreville, MD	9,907	10.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Caroline County

Caroline County Ridgely, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21660 in? ▼

ZIP code 21660 (Ridgely) is located in Caroline County, Maryland. Caroline County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/caroline-md.

What is the population of ZIP code 21660? ▼

ZIP code 21660 in Ridgely, MD has a population of 4,063 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 21660? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 21660 is $80,469, which is 5% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 21660? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 21660 is $359,300, which is 29% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21660? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 21660 is White at 82.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.1% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 21660? ▼

ZIP code 21660 has 69 business establishments employing approximately 861 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 21660? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21660 are: Construction (14), Other services (except public administration) (9), Transportation and warehousing (7). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 21660? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21660 decreased by 0.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 159%. 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 21660? ▼

In ZIP code 21660, 53.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.3% 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 21660? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21660 is 39.9 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 21660? ▼

In ZIP code 21660, approximately 77.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21660? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 21660 is 8.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.