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 Moderate-density area
- $117,888
- Median income Above-median income area
- $433,300
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 47.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Maryland ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,681. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 2.9% and unemployment is 0.0%. Median home value is $433,300 (3% below the average Maryland ZIP); 97.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
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 -. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Worcester County, so 21872 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 21872?
31.5
Median Age
62.0%
Male
38.0%
Female
8.9%
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?
$117,888
Median Household Income
+3% vs state ZIP avg
$42,681
Per Capita Income
2.9%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 21872 ranks among Maryland ZIPs
Whaleyville, 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)
$117,888 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
286housing units
286
Total Housing Units
270
Occupied Units
16
Vacant Units
2.45
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$433,300
Median Home Value
-3% vs state ZIP avg
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.
- 21811
Berlin (21811)
22,550 residents
- 19975 8,253
Selbyville (19975)
8,253 residents
- 19945 6,862
Frankford (19945)
6,862 residents
- 19939 5,979
Dagsboro (19939)
5,979 residents
- 21813 2,852
Bishopville (21813)
2,852 residents
- 21850 2,790
Pittsville (21850)
2,790 residents
- 21874 2,210
Willards (21874)
2,210 residents
- 21872 718
Whaleyville (21872)
718 residents
- 21862 106
Showell (21862)
106 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21872 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 21872 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21813
Bishopville (21813)
$121,472 median income
- 21872
Whaleyville (21872)
$117,888 median income
- 21811
Berlin (21811)
$90,082 median income
- 19939
Dagsboro (19939)
$89,806 median income
- 19975
Selbyville (19975)
$88,568 median income
- 19945
Frankford (19945)
$87,638 median income
- 21850
Pittsville (21850)
$79,665 median income
- 21874
Willards (21874)
$78,393 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 21872, 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 Worcester County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 21872's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 21872 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Whaleyville, 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.