21540, MD Violent Crime Rates and Maps

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D+
Property Crime Grade	B-
Other Crime Grade	F

Which crimes are included?

$31,585

Cost of Crime™ for 21540, MD

In 2025, violent crime will cost $919 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of 21540 with the least violent crime and red marks the most, weighted by the type and severity of each offense. Violent crime concentrates where people gather after dark, near nightlife, bars, and transit, more than on residential streets. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read those hot spots.

The D+ grade reflects how often assault, robbery, rape, and murder occur in 21540 against the average US zip, where the rate is higher than the norm. 21540 sits in the 26th percentile for violent-crime safety, ahead of 26% of zip codes and behind 74%. The grade covers only 21540's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby zip codes.

The violent crime rate in 21540 is 4.680 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the zip the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 206 in the south areas to 1 in 236 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the east parts of 21540, MD report the most violent crime, about 0 cases per year. The northwest part reports the fewest, around 0 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in 21540, MD

The tangible cost of violent crime in 21540 is projected at $31,585 for 2025, about $410 per resident and $919 per household. That equals 1.4% of the median household income, and it counts only the bills that can be totaled: emergency care, lost wages, and the justice response. The larger cost, the harm to victims, comes later on this page. These tangible costs split into:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 39.7%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 46.9%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 13.3%

How Much Does Violent Crime Cost in 21540 Compared to Other Zip Codes?

21540, MD:	$410
21223, MD:	$1143
21012, MD:	$88
Maryland:	$323
USA:	$258

The tangible cost of violent crime is $410 per resident each year in 21540, which is $152 more than the national average and $87 more than Maryland's state average. The comparison below uses zip codes similar to 21540:

In 21223, MD, crime costs $1,143 per person, which is $733 more than in 21540.
In 21012, MD, crime costs $88 per person, which is $322 less than in 21540

2025 Projected Violent Crime Cost by Type

The table below breaks the violent-crime total into its four offenses for 21540, with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to 21540	Cost per 21540 Resident
Murder	$19,694	$256
Rape/Sexual Assault	$2,973	$39
Robbery	$3,177	$41
Assault	$5,740	$75
Total Cost of Violent Crime	$31,585	$410

The Human Cost of Violent Crime in 21540, MD

Much of what violent crime costs never reaches a bill. Pain, trauma, and lost quality of life for victims and their families typically outweigh the medical and legal totals above. Research-based methods put a figure on that harm so it can be compared across places. By those methods, the human cost of violent crime in 21540 totals $147,795 ($1,919 per resident). Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $179,380 ($2,330 per resident). This human toll is what sets violent crime apart from property crime in 21540, MD, where the loss is mostly replaceable property. All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Violent Crime Maps

Violent crime rates are measured per resident, so places packed with visitors after dark read high even when few people live there. Bars, clubs, event venues, and transit hubs draw the crowds where assaults and robberies cluster. How strongly this shows on the map depends on the commercial base; the zip has few retail establishments. A red block full of bars and venues does not mean the homes around it are dangerous.

Transit stations show the same effect: large moving crowds, few residents, so per-capita violent crime reads high. Before judging a residential street, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total count of incidents, and note what draws crowds nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a solid connection. Compare high speed internet in 21540, MD at ISP Reports.

21540 Violent Crime Breakdown

The table below shows which offenses feed the Violent Crime Grade above, each as crimes per 1,000 21540 residents in a standard year.

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	2.596
Robbery	1.312
Rape	0.6368
Murder	0.1361
Total Violent Crime	4.680 (D+)

Individual 21540 Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Zip Codes

Compared to surrounding zip codes, the rate of violent crime in 21540 is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for zip codes close to 21540.

Nearby Zip	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
26750, WV	B	B+	B+
21523, MD	C+	C	B+
21562, MD	D+	D+	C+
21521, MD	D+	D+	C-
26726, WV	B	B	A-
21557, MD	D	D	C-
21539, MD	D-	D+	D+
21561, MD	C	C-	C+
21538, MD	C	D-	B-
21542, MD	B-	C+	B+

Crime Maps and Rates for Zip with Similar Populations

21540 is higher versus other zip codes of the same size for violent crime. The table below compares crime in zip codes with comparable overall population in the zip‘s boundaries.

Similar Zip	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
77987, TX	C+	C	C
52759, IA	A-	A-	A-
53501, WI	B+	A	A
55772, MN	C-	C+	C+
56022, MN	C	C	C
75779, TX	C-	D+	D+
75934, TX	C-	D-	D-
76469, TX	D-	C-	C-
77412, TX	D+	D-	D-
77443, TX	D	D-	D-

Considering only the violent crime rate, 21540 is as safe as the Maryland state average and less safe than the national average.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.