Howard County · Maryland
ZIP code 21797
- Population
- 8,772
- Median income
- $185,435
- Median home
- $713,400
- Sales tax
- 6%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
Maryland state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 21797 sits in Howard County, Maryland and is home to 8,772 people. Median household income is $185,435, the median home is worth $713,400 and median gross rent is $1,241. 89.9% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 6% (Maryland state rate).
- County
- Howard County
- State
- Maryland (MD)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 24027
477 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 21797
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 8,772ZIP 21797 residents
- Median household income
- $185,435Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $713,400Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,241Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 44 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 89.9%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 21797
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
Maryland levies 6% statewide with no local add-ons. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 21797 compares
ZIP 21797 against the median ZIP in Howard County and across Maryland.
| Measure | ZIP 21797 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $185,435 | $177,874 | $104,338 | +78% |
| Median home value | $713,400 | $674,700 | $401,000 | +78% |
| Median gross rent | $1,241 | $2,104 | $1,600 | -22% |
| Population | 8,772 | 7,765 | 4,995 | +76% |
Medians are computed across the 20 ZIP areas in Howard County and the 477 ZIP areas in Maryland.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 477 Maryland ZIP areas.
- Income
- #29
- Home value
- #31
- Population
- #192
richer than 93% of 428 state ZIPs
above 93% of 425 state ZIPs
larger than 60% of 477 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
Maryland ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Howard County.
ZIP 21797 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 21797?
- ZIP 21797 lies mostly in Howard County, Maryland. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 21797?
- Maryland charges 6% statewide.
- Is 21797 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,241 a month, about 8% of median household income, and the median home is worth $713,400 — +78% against the typical Maryland ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- Comptroller of Maryland — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.