Marion Station, MD · standard
ZIP Code 21838
Somerset County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,736
- 13/sq mi Low-density area
- $88,438
- Median income Above-median income area
- $202,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 14.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Marion Station pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 28%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 44th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 92%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21838 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 21838 covers 138.9 square miles in Marion Station, Somerset County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,736 residents on file, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21838 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $88,438 (23% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $40,941. The poverty rate is 3.1%, with unemployment at 5.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $202,400 (55% below the average Maryland ZIP), and median rent is $1,073; owner occupancy is 92.4%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Somerset County, so 21838 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 21838
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Marion Station, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21838.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
4 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
3 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
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 21838, Marion Station, 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
1,736
Population
138.9
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21838?
44.6
Median Age
47.0%
Male
53.0%
Female
0.0%
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?
$88,438
Median Household Income
-23% vs state ZIP avg
$40,941
Per Capita Income
3.1%
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 21838 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Marion Station, 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)
$88,438 36th percentile higher than 36% 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
917housing units
917
Total Housing Units
715
Occupied Units
202
Vacant Units
2.62
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$202,400
Median Home Value
-55% vs state ZIP avg
$1,073
Median Rent
1978
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 24 business establishments in ZIP 21838, employing approximately 441 people with a combined annual payroll of $15,297,000.
24
Businesses
441
Employees
$15.3M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 16.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 16.7% |
| Construction | 3 | 12.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 12.5% |
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 21838 vs 21871 →
ZIP 21838 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21817
Crisfield (21817)
5,236 residents
- 21890
Westover (21890)
3,240 residents
- 21871
Westover (21871)
2,124 residents
- 21838 1,736
Marion Station (21838)
1,736 residents
- 23359 776
Hallwood (23359)
776 residents
- 23427 243
Saxis (23427)
243 residents
- 23426 225
Sanford (23426)
225 residents
- 23488 201
Withams (23488)
201 residents
- 21867 114
Upper Fairmount (21867)
114 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21838 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21838 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21838
Marion Station (21838)
$88,438 median income
- 23488
Withams (23488)
$76,731 median income
- 23359
Hallwood (23359)
$71,329 median income
- 23409
Mears (23409)
$66,500 median income
- 21817
Crisfield (21817)
$55,720 median income
- 21871
Westover (21871)
$50,524 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 21838 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21871 | Westover, MD | 2,124 | 6.2 mi |
| 23427 | Saxis, VA | 243 | 7.0 mi |
| 21817 | Crisfield, MD | 5,236 | 6.1 mi |
| 23426 | Sanford, VA | 225 | 7.2 mi |
| 21867 | Upper Fairmount, MD | 114 | 7.4 mi |
| 21890 | Westover, MD | 3,240 | 10.0 mi |
| 23488 | Withams, VA | 201 | 7.9 mi |
| 23409 | Mears, VA | 84 | 10.4 mi |
| 23359 | Hallwood, VA | 776 | 11.9 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 21838, 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 (1,736 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Somerset County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 21838 in?
ZIP code 21838 (Marion Station) is located in Somerset County, Maryland. Somerset County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/somerset-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21838?
ZIP code 21838 in Marion Station, MD has a population of 1,736 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21838?
The median household income in ZIP 21838 is $88,438, which is 16% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21838?
The median home value in ZIP 21838 is $202,400, which is 27% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21838?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21838 is White at 84.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21838?
ZIP code 21838 has 24 business establishments employing approximately 441 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21838?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21838 are: Transportation and warehousing (4), Other services (except public administration) (4), Construction (3). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21838?
In ZIP code 21838, 65.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.8% 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 21838?
In ZIP code 21838, approximately 92.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21838?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21838 is 3.1% 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 21838's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21838 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Marion Station, MD ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.