ZIP 21601

21601 is one of 15 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Talbot County, MD.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 12 of the 14 with a value.

3 school locations in 21601: 1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high.

In alphabetical order: Easton Elementary, Easton High, Easton Middle. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2000 the typical home in 21601 was worth $183,748.

Values peaked at $450,180 in February 2025. The latest reading is −1.0% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $445,499, −0.4% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $445,499. Put 20% down and borrow $356,399 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $2,468 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $81,837 a year, $6,820 a month. So the payment takes 36.2% of income — rated “severe” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 14.9% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $1,100.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $1,112.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $2,292 — +106% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +30%.

Reported values rose +142% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $362,646. So the real change is +23%, not +142%.

21601: +143% since January 2000.

Talbot County: +153% since January 2000.

Maryland: +180% since January 2000 — 21601 ran behind it by 38 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $2,913 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $2,089 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 17.8. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 34 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 72% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 130. That is 64% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

Going out — closed sales: about 32 a month. That is 85% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 4.0 months of supply — inside the 4–6 month balanced range. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 2 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 32 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 35 — so sales ran at 91% of it, and below it in 19 of the last 24 months.

Across Talbot County, builders pulled permits for 198 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 100% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Talbot County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 580 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 525 moved out.

Net across those counties: +55 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 130 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Caroline, MD (117 households); most departures went to Dorchester, MD (130).