ZIP Code 21221 — Essex CDP, MD Demographics & Data

ZIP code 21221 covers Essex, MD in Baltimore County with a population of about 43,536.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 41.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 410, 443, 667; U.S. House district MD-2; the BALTIMORE media market.

Median household income in ZIP 21221 is about $67,368 — about 10% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 12.8%; unemployment rate near 5.5%; 19.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 13.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Education; about 7.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 8.1 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $266,800 — about 23% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,099 (about 6% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 59.4% (about 6.1 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 21221 in Essex, MD, a household would need roughly $73,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,714. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($67,368). Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Essex CDP, MD as Relatively High (composite score 95.0), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (94.3) and hurricane (92.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Essex CDP, MD show little to no average snow and around 43.7 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 2,558 for ZIP 21221 (Essex CDP, MD) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.