ZIP Code 21561 — Swanton CDP, MD Demographics & Data

ZIP code 21561 covers Swanton, MD in Garrett County with a population of about 2,662.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 56.2 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 227, 240, 301; U.S. House district MD-6; the PITTSBURGH media market.

Swanton, MD fits a retirement-oriented profile (older median age or known retirement-community context). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 21561 is about $71,964 — about 4% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.8%; unemployment rate near 0.0%; 35.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 1.5 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Manufacturing; about 15.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with 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 $288,800 — about 17% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 91.4% (about 26.0 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 21561 in Swanton, MD, a household would need roughly $79,000 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 $1,855. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($71,964). 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 Swanton CDP, MD as Very Low (composite score 16.0), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (63.8) and flood (34.7). 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 Swanton CDP, MD show little to no average snow and around 41.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 156 for ZIP 21561 (Swanton 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.