Somerset County · Maryland
ZIP code 21838
- Population
- 1,975
- Median income
- $85,577
- Median home
- $179,200
- Sales tax
- 6%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
Maryland state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 21838 sits in Somerset County, Maryland and is home to 1,975 people. Median household income is $85,577, the median home is worth $179,200 and median gross rent is $1,516. 92.8% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 6% (Maryland state rate).
- County
- Somerset County
- State
- Maryland (MD)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 24039
477 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 21838
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 1,975ZIP 21838 residents
- Median household income
- $85,577Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $179,200Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $1,516Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 46.2 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 92.8%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 21838
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 21838 compares
ZIP 21838 against the median ZIP in Somerset County and across Maryland.
| Measure | ZIP 21838 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,577 | $53,139 | $104,338 | -18% |
| Median home value | $179,200 | $159,600 | $401,000 | -55% |
| Median gross rent | $1,516 | $973 | $1,600 | -5% |
| Population | 1,975 | 1,635 | 4,995 | -60% |
Medians are computed across the 9 ZIP areas in Somerset County and the 477 ZIP areas in Maryland.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 477 Maryland ZIP areas.
- Income
- #291
- Home value
- #396
- Population
- #311
richer than 32% of 428 state ZIPs
above 7% of 425 state ZIPs
larger than 35% of 477 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
Maryland ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Somerset County.
ZIP 21838 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 21838?
- ZIP 21838 lies mostly in Somerset 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 21838?
- Maryland charges 6% statewide.
- Is 21838 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $1,516 a month, about 21% of median household income, and the median home is worth $179,200 — -55% 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.