PlainZIP

Whaleyville, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21872

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

718
15/sq mi
$117,888
Median income
$433,300
Median home value
47.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Whaleyville pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 10%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 18%
home value, US ZIPs
15
people per sq mi
98%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21872 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21872 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Whaleyville, Worcester County, Maryland, home to just 718 residents across 46.9 square miles, a density of 15 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21872 skews affluent, with a median household income of $117,888 (3% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $42,681. Poverty here runs at 2.9%, with unemployment measured at 0.0%. Median home value sits at $433,300 (3% below the state average), median rent at - a month, and owner-occupancy at 97.8%.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 47.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.5, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 8 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 21872, plus 6 more within Worcester County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 21872, Whaleyville, 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

718

Population

46.9

Area (sq mi)

15

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 21872?

31.5

Median Age

62.0%

Male

38.0%

Female

8.9%

Foreign-Born

White 91.2%
African American 2.9%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%

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?

$117,888

Median Household Income

+3% vs state

$42,681

Per Capita Income

2.9%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 21872 ranks nationally

Whaleyville, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$117,888 Top 10% higher than 90% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $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 63.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 47.4%

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

What does housing look like?

286

Total Housing Units

270

Occupied Units

16

Vacant Units

2.45

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 97.8%
Renter 2.2%

$433,300

Median Home Value

-3% vs state

2000

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 14 business establishments in ZIP 21872, employing approximately 39 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,780,000.

14

Businesses

39

Employees

$1.8M

Annual Payroll

1

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 4 28.6%

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 21872 vs 21874 →

ZIP 21872 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 21872 ranks #8 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 21872 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 21872 ranks #2 of 8 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
21874 Willards, MD 2,210 3.7 mi
21862 Showell, MD 106 4.1 mi
21813 Bishopville, MD 2,852 7.1 mi
19945 Frankford, DE 6,862 6.9 mi
21850 Pittsville, MD 2,790 7.0 mi
19975 Selbyville, DE 8,253 7.4 mi
21811 Berlin, MD 22,550 8.0 mi
19939 Dagsboro, DE 5,979 11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Worcester County

21811 standard
Berlin, MD
Pop: 22,550
21842 standard
Ocean City, MD
Pop: 11,089
21851 standard
Pocomoke City, MD
Pop: 7,315
21863 standard
Snow Hill, MD
Pop: 5,029
21813 standard
Bishopville, MD
Pop: 2,852
21822 standard
Eden, MD
Pop: 1,930

Related Areas

Worcester County Whaleyville, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21872 in? ▼
ZIP code 21872 (Whaleyville) 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 21872? ▼
ZIP code 21872 in Whaleyville, MD has a population of 718 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21872? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21872 is $117,888, which is 55% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21872? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21872 is $433,300, which is 56% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21872? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21872 is White at 91.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21872? ▼
ZIP code 21872 has 14 business establishments employing approximately 39 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21872? ▼
In ZIP code 21872, 63.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 47.4% 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 21872? ▼
In ZIP code 21872, approximately 97.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 2.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21872? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21872 is 2.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.