21001 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
21921
21001
Opportunity
73 · Top 16%
vs70 · Top 20%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs53 · Top 46%
Climate
71 · Top 47%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 29%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs89 · Top 35%
Schools
36 · Bottom 31%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
82 · Bottom 23%
vs84 · Bottom 27%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 31%
vs64 · Top 43%
Measured values
| Metric | 21921 | 21001 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,527 | 27,168 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,775 | $83,238 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,249 | $41,898 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 481/sq mi | 907/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $330,400 | $285,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,421 | $1,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.8% | 63.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 28.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 12.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 89 | 99 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 5.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -74.5% | -44.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.3" | 47.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 31.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.92 | 13.02 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.9% | 6.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 13.9% | 16.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 58.6% | 62.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
21921
Elevated or high exposure: drought.
21001
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: 21921 — Elkton, MD · 21001 — Aberdeen, MD · How this is calculated: methodology