Housing market/Maryland/ZIP 21221
ZIP 21221 Essex, Maryland
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA · Maryland. Census housing stock, renter economics, HUD SAFMR, LIHTC, and population change. Not a listing page and not a buy/sell score.
ZIP brief
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HUD schedule, ACS stock, and the 90–110% band for ZIP 21221 · MD — sent to you.
ZIP 21221 · MD
ACS rent vs 2BR SAFMR
ZIP 21221 — Essex, MD HUD Section 8 Payment Standards / SAFMR →ACS median is all-bedroom occupied rent. SAFMR is the 2-bedroom HCV benchmark.
Housing stock
ACS 2023 units-in-structure · ZCTA 21221
- 1-unit detached7,68041.8%
- 1-unit attached5,98832.6%
- 2–4 units8924.9%
- 5–49 units2,75415.0%
- 50+ units7934.3%
- Mobile2571.4%
2–4 unit share 4.9% · 5–49 unit share 15.0% · combined 2–49 19.9%.
Units by bedrooms
Rent burden
- ACS median gross rent $1,305 (all bedrooms, occupied rentals).
- Median contract rent $1,099.
- Renters paying ≥30% of income 51.6%; ≥50% 27.2%.
- FY2027 2BR SAFMR $1,680 (1.287× ACS median gross rent).
Population
43,536 residents · ACS 2023
Change versus the 2018 ACS 5-year estimate: +1.0%.
ACS 5-year estimates lag current construction. This is not a forecast.
Assisted inventory
- LIHTC: 6 projects, 776 units.
- HUD project-based assisted MF: 2 properties, 372 assisted units.
- HCV household counts (Picture of Subsidized Households) are not on this page yet.
New apartment permits
About 379 new apartments in 5+ unit buildings may have been permitted in this ZIP’s share of the county. That is units (doors), not a building count.
Cities and counties report building permits to the Census. Apartment counts are for the whole county, not a project list in this ZIP.
What the data shows
ZIP 21221 40.6% of occupied households are renters; vacancy is 6.7%; ACS median gross rent is $1,305; population increased +1.0% between the 2018 and 2023 ACS vintages; the housing stock includes 892 units in 2–4-unit structures and 2,754 units in 5–49-unit structures; 6 LIHTC projects totaling 776 units; FY2027 2BR SAFMR is $1,680 versus ACS median gross rent of $1,305. These figures describe the underlying housing market, not the cash flow of any one property. Asking rents, expenses, condition, taxes, insurance, and the rent roll have to be underwritten separately.
Maryland research
ZIP 21221 is a Census / HUD profile for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Not a listing page. Brokerage is Georgia; out-of-state work is referral.
ZIP 21221 — Essex, MD HUD Section 8 Payment Standards / SAFMR·Maryland ZIP directory
Nearby ZIPs in this FMR area
Census ZIP areas approximate mail ZIPs. Sources: Census ACS 5-year 2023, HUD FY2027 Small Area FMR, HUD LIHTC and assisted multifamily lists, Census building permits (county). This page is Maryland research. Brokerage is Georgia.
FAQ
What is the housing market like in ZIP 21221?
ZIP 21221 (Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA) has 43,536 residents, 17,143 households, a renter share of 40.6%, median household income of $67,368, and ACS 2023 median gross rent of $1,305. Vacancy is 6.7%. These are ZCTA estimates, not a property rent roll.
How much small multifamily housing is in 21221?
ACS counts 368 units in 2-unit buildings, 524 in 3–4 unit buildings, 608 in 5–9, 1,950 in 10–19, and 196 in 20–49. Combined 2–49 unit stock is 3,646 units. This is occupied-and-vacant stock, not listings for sale.
What is the Section 8 rent in 21221?
The Housing Choice Voucher benchmark is the FY2027 Small Area FMR. 2-bedroom SAFMR is $1,680. See the full schedule and 90–110% payment-standard band on the ZIP 21221 — Essex, MD HUD Section 8 Payment Standards / SAFMR.
Does this Maryland ZIP profile include Georgia listings?
No. ZIP 21221 is Census / HUD research for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA. Jeff Crowe CRE does not list Maryland property. Licensed brokerage is Georgia. If you use this stock table and then buy in Georgia, live FMLS Residential Income is on multifamily for sale in Georgia.