Borden Mines Superintendent's House · National Register of Historic Places
Zihlman’s story
109 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1917Zihlman is settled
ZihlmanMD
A town of 306, settled in 1917.
1 bordering townMap →
Borden Mines Superintendent's House · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
306
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$92K
Census ACS
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
30
A commuter town
Is Zihlman a good place to live?
Zihlman’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, above both the Maryland town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Borden Mines Superintendent's House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Zihlman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
306 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
FrostburgZihlman
Nearby attractions
All 38 attractions →Fallingwater and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Zihlman. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw25 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
16 mi MountainMount Davis
28 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
36 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
8 mi National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0
Getting set up
Moving to Zihlman: who provides what
Zihlman is unincorporated, so Allegany County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPotomac Edison15.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWestern Region Allegany Distrib. SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAllegany CountyAllegany County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAllegany County Board of ElectionsAllegany County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2153221532 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Zihlman.
Natural hazards
Zihlman has a very low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Zihlman, 66% come from inland flooding and 9% from strong winds. Compared with 97% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Zihlman stands out in Maryland and nationally: the median household income there is lower
The share of residents in Zihlman who live below the poverty line: 12%. The town’s typical journey to work stands at 29 minutes, below Maryland’s towns (32 minutes) but above U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Cumberland (23%), Frostburg (18%) and Baltimore (4%). Half of commuters travel less than 8 miles.
0%work in town
| Zihlman | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Zihlman0%
Cumberland23%
Frostburg18%
Baltimore4%
Cresaptown4%
8 mi
median commute distance
30
jobs based in Zihlman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Zihlman is cooler than in most of Maryland or the rest of the country
Zihlman brings chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 72 inches of snow falls in a winter.
72″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–39°
Spring38–61°
Summer58–81°
Fall42–63°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Zihlman is
Nearly a third of Zihlman adults feel lonely. CDC measures, 32 in all: Zihlman beats Maryland on 4 and trails on 5.
| Zihlman | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
4 better23 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Zihlman | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.6% | 13.5% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.5% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 7.6% |
Western Maryland Regional Medical Center
9.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 959 acres
3.9 mi
of trails · 2.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Zihlman
16pages on Zihlman
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Zihlman
Frostburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Frostburg2 mi$10,220 in-state tuitionAllegany College of MarylandCommunity college · Public · Cumberland9.8 mi$4,938 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Zihlman residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Zihlman for work
Where Zihlman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
30jobs based in Zihlman
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Zihlman
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Zihlman (formerly Allegany) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 362. Zihlman is located along Maryland Route 36, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of and 500 feet (150 m) lower in elevation than Frostburg. Mount Savage is 3 miles (5 km) further northeast along MD 36.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,591 ft
Questions about Zihlman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Zihlman, MD a good place to live?
Zihlman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.