Pocomoke City, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21851

Worcester 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

7,315
27/sq mi: $53,162
Median income: $206,700
Median home value: 22.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Pocomoke City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

18th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 45th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 27
people per sq mi: 65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21851 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21851 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 274.0 square miles in Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Maryland. The area is home to 7,315 residents, producing a population density of 27 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 21851 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21851 sits at $53,162 (53% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $37,655. The poverty rate stands at 12.2% and the unemployment rate at 9.1%. On housing, the median home value is $206,700 (54% below the state average) with median rent at $848 per month, and 64.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21851 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.1, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Worcester County, so you can benchmark 21851 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 21851

Retail trade

41
Other services (except public administration)

27
Accommodation and food services

23
Health care and social assistance

21
Construction

15

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 21851, Pocomoke City, 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

7,315

Population

274.0

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 21851?

44.1

Median Age

50.2%

Male

49.8%

Female

3.6%

Foreign-Born

White 59.3%

African American 32.3%

Asian 2.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.0%

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?

$53,162

Median Household Income

-53% vs state

$37,655

Per Capita Income

12.2%

Poverty Rate

9.1%

Unemployment Rate

24.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21851 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$53,162 18th percentile higher than 18% 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 58.9%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.5%

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

What does housing look like?

3,644

Total Housing Units

3,252

Occupied Units

392

Vacant Units

2.22

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.7%

Renter 35.3%

$206,700

Median Home Value

-54% vs state

$848

Median Rent

1975

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

-1.3%

YoY Change (2024)

218

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+118%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21851 have decreased 1.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +118% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.0%	149
2021	+14.8%	171
2022	+11.4%	191
2023	+15.7%	220
2024	-1.3%	218

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 189 business establishments in ZIP 21851, employing approximately 2,813 people with a combined annual payroll of $127,525,000.

189

Businesses

2,813

Employees

$127.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	41	21.7%
Other services (except public administration)	27	14.3%
Accommodation and food services	23	12.2%
Health care and social assistance	21	11.1%
Construction	15	7.9%
Finance and insurance	12	6.3%
Wholesale trade	10	5.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing	8	4.2%
Manufacturing	7	3.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	7	3.7%
Transportation and warehousing	4	2.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	4	2.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	4	2.1%
Information	3	1.6%

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 21851 vs 23415 →

21851

7,315
21863

5,029
23415

1,893
23395

645
21864

611
23416

356
23488

201

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21851 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

21864

$82,917
23488

$76,731
21863

$61,975
21851

$53,162
23415

$46,836
23416

$16,688

What this shows By household income, ZIP 21851 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
23415	New Church, VA	1,893	7.6 mi
23416	Oak Hall, VA	356	10.1 mi
21864	Stockton, MD	611	7.9 mi
23395	Horntown, VA	645	8.2 mi
23488	Withams, VA	201	9.5 mi
21863	Snow Hill, MD	5,029	11.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Worcester County

Worcester County Pocomoke City, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21851 in? ▼

ZIP code 21851 (Pocomoke City) is located in Worcester County, Maryland. Worcester County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/worcester-md.

What is the population of ZIP code 21851? ▼

ZIP code 21851 in Pocomoke City, MD has a population of 7,315 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 21851? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 21851 is $53,162, which is 30% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 21851? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 21851 is $206,700, which is 26% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21851? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 21851 is White at 59.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.0% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 21851? ▼

ZIP code 21851 has 189 business establishments employing approximately 2,813 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 21851? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21851 are: Retail trade (41), Other services (except public administration) (27), Accommodation and food services (23). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 21851? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21851 decreased by 1.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 118%. 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 21851? ▼

In ZIP code 21851, 58.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.5% 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 21851? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21851 is 24.4 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 21851? ▼

In ZIP code 21851, approximately 64.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21851? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 21851 is 12.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.