Sharptown, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21861

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

757
112/sq mi
$86,027
Median income
$192,100
Median home value
19.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 31%
household income, US ZIPs
41th pct
home value, US ZIPs
112
people per sq mi
86%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21861 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21861 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 6.8 square miles in Sharptown, Wicomico County, Maryland. The area is home to 757 residents, producing a population density of 112 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 21861 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 21861 sits at $86,027 (25% below the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $38,676. The poverty rate stands at 5.4% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $192,100 (57% below the state average) with median rent at $1,185 per month, and 86.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 21861 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 19.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.5, and the average commute is . We also surface 6 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wicomico County, so you can benchmark 21861 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 →

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 21861, Sharptown, 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

757

Population

6.8

Area (sq mi)

112

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 21861?

38.5

Median Age

48.0%

Male

52.0%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 90.5%
African American 5.2%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%

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?

$86,027

Median Household Income

-25% vs state

$38,676

Per Capita Income

5.4%

Poverty Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 21861 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$86,027 Top 31% higher than 69% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 59.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.3%

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

What does housing look like?

413

Total Housing Units

373

Occupied Units

40

Vacant Units

2.47

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 86.1%
Renter 13.9%

$192,100

Median Home Value

-57% vs state

$1,185

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 10 business establishments in ZIP 21861, employing approximately 30 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,409,000.

10

Businesses

30

Employees

$1.4M

Annual Payroll

0

Industry Sectors

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 21861 vs 21659 →

ZIP 21861 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 21861 ranks #6 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 21861 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 21861 ranks #3 of 7 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
21659 Rhodesdale, MD 1,551 4.4 mi
21837 Mardela Springs, MD 2,614 5.7 mi
21830 Hebron, MD 4,026 9.3 mi
19931 Bethel, DE 211 6.3 mi
19973 Seaford, DE 23,838 9.4 mi
21643 Hurlock, MD 5,979 10.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wicomico County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21861 in?
ZIP code 21861 (Sharptown) 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 21861?
ZIP code 21861 in Sharptown, MD has a population of 757 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21861?
The median household income in ZIP 21861 is $86,027, which is 13% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21861?
The median home value in ZIP 21861 is $192,100, which is 31% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21861?
The largest racial group in ZIP 21861 is White at 90.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21861?
ZIP code 21861 has 10 business establishments employing approximately 30 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21861?
In ZIP code 21861, 59.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.3% 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 21861?
In ZIP code 21861, approximately 86.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21861?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21861 is 5.4% 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 Sharptown, MD

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