Population & age
- Total population
- 41
- Median age
- 18.4
St. James, MD (21781)
Washington County · Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV · Population 41
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
St. James, MD (ZIP 21781) sits in Washington County within the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 19.0%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 6 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $26,010. Social vulnerability is low in this ZIP at the 8th percentile (CDC SVI), reflecting strong baseline resilience to public-health emergencies and natural disasters. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was winter storm-related (SEVERE WINTER STORM, 2026). County Health Rankings reports 10,710 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 28.6% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Frederick County, MD (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom and a 100.0% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 68.3%
- Black
- 4.9%
- Asian
- 19.5%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 7.3%
- Other / multi-racial
- 7.3%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 68.8%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 0
- Renter-occupied
- 0
- Vacant units
- 0
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 0(0.0%)
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 11(100.0%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 0
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 4(9.8%)
- Non-English at home
- 5(12.2%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$850
/month
1 Bed
$950
/month
2 Bed
$1,240
/month
3 Bed
$1,670
/month
4 Bed
$1,870
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
232
Across 217 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $66.9M.
Single-family
212
91% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
20
9% of total units
Single-family value
$63.8M
construction value
Multifamily value
$3.2M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$58,252
Average weekly wage
$1,120
Total employment
64,206
Total establishments
3,704
That is roughly 11% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
3.3%
That is 0.7 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
69,824
Employed
67,499
Unemployed
2,325
Based on Washington County, MD data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Public transit
FTA tracks transit service at the urbanized-area level. Numbers below reflect the agencies and modes serving the area that contains this ZIP, not stop-level coverage.
Service status
Available
Hagerstown, MD--WV--PA--VA
Reporting agencies
2
Largest: Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority
Annual ridership
—
unlinked trips · 2024
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (transit.dot.gov). Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
17
Date Range
1972–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3634)
Incident period: January 23, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane5 (29%)
- Snowstorm4 (24%)
- Flood3 (18%)
- Biological2 (12%)
- Severe Storm2 (12%)
- Other1 (6%)
Individual Assistance
4
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
17
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
6
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
50°F
40.8° – 59.2°
Annual precipitation
48.6"
Annual snowfall
33"
Heating · cooling days
5,995.2 · 570.3
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: S MTN, PA US, 23.6 miles from the centroid of St. James, MD (ZIP 21781)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
40
GoodGood 287dModerate 75d
Peak AQI (2024)
90
Moderate
Primary pollutant
Ozone
229 days as main pollutant
Days measured
362
Based on Washington County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
10,710
That is roughly 2,510 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
18%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.3
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.0
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
7.6%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
55
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
3,200
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.6
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
81%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
51%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.4% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Washington data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
28.6% of Washington County, MD residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.21
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.03
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.79
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.81
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 5.5% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Washington County, MD for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 153 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 782 reports
Homicide
1
Robbery
17
Burglary
104
Vehicle theft
91
County-level data for Washington (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+516 people
−51 households • −$9.8M net AGI flow
Moved in
5,275households
9,299 people • $294.3M AGI
Moved out
5,326households
8,783 people • $304.1M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Frederick County, MD — 953 households
- Montgomery County, MD — 434 households
- Berkeley County, WV — 309 households
- Franklin County, PA — 304 households
- Prince George's County, MD — 129 households
Where departing residents went
- Frederick County, MD — 523 households
- Berkeley County, WV — 521 households
- Franklin County, PA — 486 households
- Montgomery County, MD — 180 households
- Baltimore County, MD — 66 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $55,792 versus departing households' $57,105.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Maryland
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 21781. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
5.75%
graduated · 7 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
6.00%
State 6.00% · avg local 0.00%
Property tax (effective)
1.48%
Median $3,236/year
Tax burden rank
43 of 50
11.90% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
Family and Medical Leave Insurance
Mandatory (state-run insurance) · benefits begin 2027/2028
Max weeks/year
24
Parental
12wk
Max weekly benefit
$1,000
Replacement: 90% AWW up to 0.65x SAWW + 50% above · job protection
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 21781
Other ZIPs in St. James
Nearby ZIPs by distance
21733 (St. James, 1.5 mi) · 21746 (2.5 mi) · 21795 (Halfway, 3.5 mi) · 21734 (Funkstown, 3.8 mi) · 21740 (Hagerstown, 4.3 mi) · 21713 (Boonsboro, 5.8 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
27.2%
5.8pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
19.0%
13.0pp below the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
18.9%
3.1pp below the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
70.3%
5.7pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
8.2%
4.8pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
5.1%
5.9pp below the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
6
Median in-state tuition
$26,010
Median earnings (10 yr)
$44,032
- 2-Year
Frederick Community College
Frederick, MD · 21702
- In-state tuition
- $3,849
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,042
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 36.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $46,449
- Median student debt
- $8,150
- 2-Year
Hagerstown Community College
Hagerstown, MD · 21742
- In-state tuition
- $4,320
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,190
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 37.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $41,615
- Median student debt
- $11,000
- 4-Year
Mount St. Mary's University
Emmitsburg, MD · 21727
- In-state tuition
- $48,630
- Out-of-state tuition
- $48,630
- Acceptance rate
- 73.8%
- Graduation rate
- 61.8%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $64,072
- Median student debt
- $25,391
- 4-Year
Hood College
Frederick, MD · 21701
- In-state tuition
- $47,700
- Out-of-state tuition
- $47,700
- Acceptance rate
- 77.8%
- Graduation rate
- 56.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $57,089
- Median student debt
- $25,000
- Certificate
The Temple-A Paul Mitchell Partner School
Frederick, MD · 21701
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 94.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $27,891
- Median student debt
- $9,833
- Certificate
Award Beauty School
Hagerstown, MD · 21740
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 58.8%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $18,172
- Median student debt
- $13,000
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
St. James, MD (ZIP 21781) sits in Washington County within the Hagerstown-Martinsburg metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 19.0%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 6 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $26,010. Social vulnerability is low in this ZIP at the 8th percentile (CDC SVI), reflecting strong baseline resilience to public-health emergencies and natural disasters. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was winter storm-related (SEVERE WINTER STORM, 2026). County Health Rankings reports 10,710 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. 28.6% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Frederick County, MD (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom and a 100.0% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average). Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits lower the national rate at 18.9%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 21781
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 21781?
27.2%, which is 5.8 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 21781?
18.9%, which is 3.1 percentage points below the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 21781?
19.0%, which is 13.0 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 21781?
41 people live in ZIP 21781, with a median age of 18.4 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 21781?
In ZIP 21781, 0.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 21781?
100.0% of the population in ZIP 21781 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 21781 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 21781 ranks in the 8th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a low vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 21781?
Racial & Ethnic Minority Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 21781, ranking in the 37th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 21781 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 17 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 21781 between 1972–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 21781?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 21781, accounting for 5 of 17 declarations (29%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 21781?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 21781 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3634) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 21781?
6 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 21781 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Frederick Community College, Hagerstown Community College, and Mount St. Mary'S University (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 21781?
Median in-state tuition across 6 nearby institutions is $26,010 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 21781?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $44,032 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 21781?
ZIP 21781 has an average annual temperature of 50.0°F and 48.6" of annual precipitation based on the S MTN, PA US weather station 23.6 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 21781 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 21781 is part of the Hagerstown, MD--WV--PA--VA urbanized area, primarily served by Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 21781?
Maryland has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 5.75%. Combined sales tax: 6.00% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Maryland have paid family leave?
Maryland has enacted a paid family leave program with benefits beginning 2027/2028 but it is not yet active (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 21781?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (6 institutions), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (17 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), public transit coverage from the National Transit Database (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (17 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). Transit coverage retrieved May 4, 2026 from the National Transit Database (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 21781
Other ZIPs in St. James
Nearby ZIPs by distance
21733 (St. James, 1.5 mi) · 21746 (2.5 mi) · 21795 (Halfway, 3.5 mi) · 21734 (Funkstown, 3.8 mi) · 21740 (Hagerstown, 4.3 mi) · 21713 (Boonsboro, 5.8 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 21781?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
8th percentile
Low Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 98
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
1
Persons with Disability
9
Without HS Diploma
2
Without Health Insurance
1
Adults Age 65+
14
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.