ZIP Code 21788 — Thurmont town, MD Demographics & Data

ZIP code 21788 covers Thurmont, MD in Frederick County with a population of about 11,919.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 46.5 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 WASHINGTON, DC (HAGRSTWN) media market.

Median household income in ZIP 21788 is about $93,717 — about 25% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.4%; unemployment rate near 3.0%; 29.5% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 4.2 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Construction, Healthcare, and Education; about 14.4% 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 $342,700 — about even with the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $906 (about 22% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 81.6% (about 16.2 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 21788 in Thurmont, MD, a household would need roughly $94,000 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 $2,201. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($93,717). 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 Thurmont town, MD as Relatively Low (composite score 74.2), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (81.6) and hurricane (79.3). 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 Thurmont town, MD show little to no average snow and around 48.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 700 for ZIP 21788 (Thurmont town, 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.