West River, MD · standard
ZIP Code 20778
Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,009
- 99/sq mi
- $205,974
- Median income
- $716,500
- Median home value
- 49.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
West River pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 1%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 6%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 99
- people per sq mi
- 100%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20778 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 20778 covers 20.3 square miles in West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,009 residents on file, a density of 99 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 20778 skews affluent, with a median household income of $205,974 (80% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $66,972. 0.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.3%. On housing, the median home value is $716,500 (60% above the state average) with median rent at - per month, and 100.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 49.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.7, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 20778, plus 6 more within Anne Arundel County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 20778
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in West River, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20778.
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
8 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
6 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20778, West River, MD · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,009
Population
20.3
Area (sq mi)
99
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 20778?
47.7
Median Age
50.1%
Male
49.9%
Female
5.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$205,974
Median Household Income
+80% vs state
$66,972
Per Capita Income
0.8%
Poverty Rate
2.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 20778 ranks nationally
West River, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$205,974 Top 1% higher than 99% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
747
Total Housing Units
729
Occupied Units
18
Vacant Units
3.03
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$716,500
Median Home Value
+60% vs state
1990
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+8.1%
YoY Change (2024)
252
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+152%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 20778 have increased 8.1% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +152% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +6.7% | 187 |
| 2020 | -1.6% | 184 |
| 2021 | +7.3% | 198 |
| 2022 | +8.1% | 214 |
| 2024 | – | 252 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 44 business establishments in ZIP 20778, employing approximately 373 people with a combined annual payroll of $19,559,000.
44
Businesses
373
Employees
$19.6M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 9 | 20.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 8 | 18.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 13.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 13.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 9.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 20778 vs 20765 →
ZIP 20778 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 21037
Edgewater (21037)
20,618 residents
- 20711 6,643
Lothian (20711)
6,643 residents
- 20764 4,176
Shady Side (20764)
4,176 residents
- 21140 3,457
Riva (21140)
3,457 residents
- 20776 3,289
Harwood (20776)
3,289 residents
- 20733 2,672
Churchton (20733)
2,672 residents
- 20751 2,343
Deale (20751)
2,343 residents
- 20778 2,009
West River (20778)
2,009 residents
- 20779 1,182
Tracys Landing (20779)
1,182 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20778 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 20778 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20758
Friendship (20758)
$240,847 median income
- 20778
West River (20778)
$205,974 median income
- 20779
Tracys Landing (20779)
$178,452 median income
- 21140
Riva (21140)
$170,156 median income
- 20765
Galesville (20765)
$149,545 median income
- 20776
Harwood (20776)
$149,300 median income
- 21037
Edgewater (21037)
$145,787 median income
- 20733
Churchton (20733)
$126,797 median income
- 20751
Deale (20751)
$123,951 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 20778 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20765 | Galesville, MD | 514 | 1.2 mi |
| 20751 | Deale, MD | 2,343 | 2.9 mi |
| 20764 | Shady Side, MD | 4,176 | 2.9 mi |
| 20733 | Churchton, MD | 2,672 | 2.8 mi |
| 20776 | Harwood, MD | 3,289 | 3.3 mi |
| 20779 | Tracys Landing, MD | 1,182 | 5.0 mi |
| 21037 | Edgewater, MD | 20,618 | 5.5 mi |
| 20711 | Lothian, MD | 6,643 | 5.2 mi |
| 20758 | Friendship, MD | 721 | 7.3 mi |
| 21140 | Riva, MD | 3,457 | 7.9 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Anne Arundel County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 20778 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 20778? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 20778? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 20778? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20778? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20778? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20778? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20778? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 20778? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20778? ▼
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.