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
- $88,438
- Median income
- $202,400
- Median home value
- 14.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 138.9 square miles in Marion Station, Somerset County, Maryland. The area is home to 1,736 residents, producing a population density of 13 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 21838 against Maryland and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21838 sits at $88,438 (23% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $40,941. The poverty rate stands at 3.1% and the unemployment rate at 5.0%. On housing, the median home value is $202,400 (55% below the state average) with median rent at $1,073 per month, and 92.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21838 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 14.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.6, and the average commute is —. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Somerset County, so you can benchmark 21838 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 21838
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, 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; HUD FMR + 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
$40,941
Per Capita Income
3.1%
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 21838 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$88,438 Top 28% higher than 72% 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?
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
$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 |
More ZIP Codes in Somerset County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the population of ZIP code 21838? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 21838? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21838? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Marion Station, 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.