Salisbury, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21804
Wicomico County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 38,491
- 200/sq mi
- $73,156
- Median income
- $243,700
- Median home value
- 28.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Salisbury pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 44%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 200
- people per sq mi
- 51%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21804 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 21804 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 192.5 square miles in Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland. The area is home to 38,491 residents, producing a population density of 200 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 21804 against Maryland and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21804 sits at $73,156 (36% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $35,152. The poverty rate stands at 16.7% and the unemployment rate at 7.2%. On housing, the median home value is $243,700 (46% below the state average) with median rent at $1,432 per month, and 51.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21804 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32.6, and the average commute is 22 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wicomico County, so you can benchmark 21804 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 21804
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21804.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
177 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
94 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
83 establishments
- Construction
Construction
73 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
72 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21804, Salisbury, 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
38,491
Population
192.5
Area (sq mi)
200
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21804?
32.6
Median Age
49.3%
Male
50.7%
Female
12.5%
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?
$73,156
Median Household Income
-36% vs state
$35,152
Per Capita Income
16.7%
Poverty Rate
7.2%
Unemployment Rate
22.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 21804 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,156 Top 48% higher than 52% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
17,049
Total Housing Units
15,707
Occupied Units
1,342
Vacant Units
2.48
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$243,700
Median Home Value
-46% vs state
$1,432
Median Rent
1982
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
+8.8%
YoY Change (2024)
257
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+157%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 21804 have increased 8.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +157% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.4% | 165 |
| 2021 | +13.9% | 188 |
| 2022 | +16.3% | 219 |
| 2023 | +7.8% | 236 |
| 2024 | +8.8% | 257 |
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 833 business establishments in ZIP 21804, employing approximately 10,904 people with a combined annual payroll of $595,736,000.
833
Businesses
10,904
Employees
$595.7M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 177 | 21.3% |
| Retail trade | 94 | 11.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 83 | 10.0% |
| Construction | 73 | 8.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 72 | 8.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 64 | 7.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 61 | 7.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 52 | 6.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 41 | 4.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 28 | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 26 | 3.1% |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 2.2% |
| Educational services | 12 | 1.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 10 | 1.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 10 | 1.2% |
| Information | 8 | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 0.4% |
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 21804 vs 21802 →
ZIP 21804 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21804
Salisbury (21804)
38,491 residents
- 21801
Salisbury (21801)
29,961 residents
- 21875 6,467
Delmar (21875)
6,467 residents
- 21863 5,029
Snow Hill (21863)
5,029 residents
- 21826 4,837
Fruitland (21826)
4,837 residents
- 21849 3,238
Parsonsburg (21849)
3,238 residents
- 21850 2,790
Pittsville (21850)
2,790 residents
- 21822 1,930
Eden (21822)
1,930 residents
- 21802 89
Salisbury (21802)
89 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21804 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21804 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21822
Eden (21822)
$84,479 median income
- 21875
Delmar (21875)
$83,665 median income
- 21850
Pittsville (21850)
$79,665 median income
- 21804
Salisbury (21804)
$73,156 median income
- 21801
Salisbury (21801)
$71,313 median income
- 21849
Parsonsburg (21849)
$71,211 median income
- 21826
Fruitland (21826)
$64,946 median income
- 21863
Snow Hill (21863)
$61,975 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21804 ranks #4 of 8 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Wicomico County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 21804 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 21804? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 21804? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 21804? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21804? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21804? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21804? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21804? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 21804? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 21804? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21804? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21804? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Salisbury, MD
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.