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 High-density area
- $86,027
- Median income Above-median income area
- $192,100
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 19.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Sharptown pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 31%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41st 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 a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Sharptown, Wicomico County, Maryland, home to just 757 residents across 6.8 square miles, a density of 112 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 21861 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $86,027 (25% below the average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $38,676. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.4% and unemployment is 3.5%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $192,100 (57% below the average Maryland ZIP), and median rent is $1,185; owner occupancy is 86.1%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Wicomico County, so 21861 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 →
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 21861, Sharptown, 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
757
Population
6.8
Area (sq mi)
112
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 21861?
38.5
Median Age
48.0%
Male
52.0%
Female
2.0%
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?
$86,027
Median Household Income
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$38,676
Per Capita Income
5.4%
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 21861 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Sharptown, 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)
$86,027 32nd percentile higher than 32% 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
413housing units
413
Total Housing Units
373
Occupied Units
40
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$192,100
Median Home Value
-57% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 19973
Seaford (19973)
23,838 residents
- 21643 5,979
Hurlock (21643)
5,979 residents
- 21830 4,026
Hebron (21830)
4,026 residents
- 21837 2,614
Mardela Springs (21837)
2,614 residents
- 21659 1,551
Rhodesdale (21659)
1,551 residents
- 21861 757
Sharptown (21861)
757 residents
- 19931 211
Bethel (19931)
211 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21861 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21861 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21830
Hebron (21830)
$112,991 median income
- 19931
Bethel (19931)
$99,375 median income
- 21861
Sharptown (21861)
$86,027 median income
- 21659
Rhodesdale (21659)
$73,750 median income
- 21643
Hurlock (21643)
$67,219 median income
- 19973
Seaford (19973)
$64,387 median income
- 21837
Mardela Springs (21837)
$62,880 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 21861, both outside MD so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Wicomico County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 21861's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21861 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sharptown, MD ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.