Mardela Springs, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21837

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

2,614
23/sq mi
$62,880
Median income
$227,400
Median home value
18.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Mardela Springs pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

34th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 48%
home value, US ZIPs
23
people per sq mi
87%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21837 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21837 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 115.2 square miles in Mardela Springs, Wicomico County, Maryland. The area is home to 2,614 residents, producing a population density of 23 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 21837 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21837 sits at $62,880 (45% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $34,456. The poverty rate stands at 5.7% and the unemployment rate at 4.6%. On housing, the median home value is $227,400 (49% below the state average) with median rent at $1,115 per month, and 87.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21837 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 18.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.8, and the average commute is 26 minutes. We also surface 8 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wicomico County, so you can benchmark 21837 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 21837

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21837.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 21837, Mardela Springs, 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

2,614

Population

115.2

Area (sq mi)

23

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 21837?

40.8

Median Age

44.8%

Male

55.2%

Female

4.4%

Foreign-Born

White 66.8%
African American 21.5%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%

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?

$62,880

Median Household Income

-45% vs state

$34,456

Per Capita Income

5.7%

Poverty Rate

4.6%

Unemployment Rate

25.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21837 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$62,880 34th percentile higher than 34% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 63.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.0%

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

What does housing look like?

1,179

Total Housing Units

1,123

Occupied Units

56

Vacant Units

2.57

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.2%
Renter 12.8%

$227,400

Median Home Value

-49% vs state

$1,115

Median Rent

1993

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 33 business establishments in ZIP 21837, employing approximately 190 people with a combined annual payroll of $6,829,000.

33

Businesses

190

Employees

$6.8M

Annual Payroll

6

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 7 21.2%
Transportation and warehousing 4 12.1%
Other services (except public administration) 4 12.1%
Construction 3 9.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 3 9.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 9.1%

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 21837 vs 21830 →

ZIP 21837 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21837 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 21837 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 21837 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
21830 Hebron, MD 4,026 4.5 mi
21861 Sharptown, MD 757 5.7 mi
21659 Rhodesdale, MD 1,551 8.6 mi
21869 Vienna, MD 1,006 6.9 mi
21856 Quantico, MD 1,035 8.7 mi
21801 Salisbury, MD 29,961 8.7 mi
19931 Bethel, DE 211 11.1 mi
21826 Fruitland, MD 4,837 12.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wicomico County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21837 in?
ZIP code 21837 (Mardela Springs) is located in Wicomico County, Maryland. Wicomico County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wicomico-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21837?
ZIP code 21837 in Mardela Springs, MD has a population of 2,614 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21837?
The median household income in ZIP 21837 is $62,880, which is 18% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21837?
The median home value in ZIP 21837 is $227,400, which is 18% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21837?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21837 is White at 66.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21837?
ZIP code 21837 has 33 business establishments employing approximately 190 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21837?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21837 are: Retail trade (7), Transportation and warehousing (4), Other services (except public administration) (4). There are 6 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21837?
In ZIP code 21837, 63.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.0% 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 21837?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21837 is 25.6 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 21837?
In ZIP code 21837, approximately 87.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21837?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21837 is 5.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Mardela Springs, MD

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.