PlainZIP

Jessup, MD · standard

ZIP Code 20794

Howard County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

14,098
533/sq mi
$116,406
Median income
$426,100
Median home value
29.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Jessup pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 11%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 18%
home value, US ZIPs
533
people per sq mi
62%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20794 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 20794 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 26.5 square miles in Jessup, Howard County, Maryland. The area is home to 14,098 residents, producing a population density of 533 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 20794 against Maryland and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 20794 sits at $116,406 (2% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $35,400. The poverty rate stands at 7.9% and the unemployment rate at 4.1%. On housing, the median home value is $426,100 (5% below the state average) with median rent at $2,032 per month, and 62.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 20794 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.8, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Howard County, so you can benchmark 20794 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 20794

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20794.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20794, Jessup, MD · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

14,098

Population

26.5

Area (sq mi)

533

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 20794?

36.8

Median Age

60.7%

Male

39.3%

Female

12.6%

Foreign-Born

White 31.2%
African American 47.8%
Asian 6.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%

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?

$116,406

Median Household Income

+2% vs state

$35,400

Per Capita Income

7.9%

Poverty Rate

4.1%

Unemployment Rate

25.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 20794 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$116,406 Top 11% higher than 89% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 62.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 29.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

4,043

Total Housing Units

3,928

Occupied Units

115

Vacant Units

2.82

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 62.1%
Renter 37.9%

$426,100

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

$2,032

Median Rent

1991

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

+5.3%

YoY Change (2024)

317

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+217%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 20794 have increased 5.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +217% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.6% 216
2021 +9.1% 235
2022 +12.1% 264
2023 +14.0% 301
2024 +5.3% 317

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 564 business establishments in ZIP 20794, employing approximately 16,247 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,091,484,000.

564

Businesses

16,247

Employees

$1.1B

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Wholesale trade 118 20.9%
Construction 87 15.4%
Transportation and warehousing 60 10.6%
Retail trade 47 8.3%
Accommodation and food services 43 7.6%
Other services (except public administration) 40 7.1%
Manufacturing 33 5.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 33 5.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 29 5.1%
Health care and social assistance 29 5.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 26 4.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 1.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 5 0.9%
Finance and insurance 3 0.5%
Educational services 3 0.5%

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 20794 vs 20701 →

ZIP 20794 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20794 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 20794 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 20794 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
20701 Annapolis Junction, MD 2 1.7 mi
20763 Savage, MD 2,664 1.8 mi
20724 Laurel, MD 16,093 3.5 mi
21046 Columbia, MD 15,080 3.3 mi
21076 Hanover, MD 12,952 3.8 mi
20755 Fort George G Meade, MD 9,302 3.8 mi
21075 Elkridge, MD 26,344 4.2 mi
20723 Laurel, MD 28,972 4.3 mi
21045 Columbia, MD 38,288 4.4 mi
21077 Harmans, MD 224 4.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Howard County

21043 standard
Ellicott City, MD
Pop: 42,246
21044 standard
Columbia, MD
Pop: 41,704
21045 standard
Columbia, MD
Pop: 38,288
21042 standard
Ellicott City, MD
Pop: 38,076
20723 standard
Laurel, MD
Pop: 28,972
21075 standard
Elkridge, MD
Pop: 26,344

Related Areas

Howard County Jessup, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 20794 in? ▼
ZIP code 20794 (Jessup) is located in Howard County, Maryland. Howard County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/howard-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 20794? ▼
ZIP code 20794 in Jessup, MD has a population of 14,098 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 20794? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 20794 is $116,406, which is 53% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20794? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 20794 is $426,100, which is 53% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20794? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 20794 is African American at 47.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20794? ▼
ZIP code 20794 has 564 business establishments employing approximately 16,247 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20794? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20794 are: Wholesale trade (118), Construction (87), Transportation and warehousing (60). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20794? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20794 increased by 5.3% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 217%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 20794? ▼
In ZIP code 20794, 62.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 29.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 20794? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 20794 is 25.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 20794? ▼
In ZIP code 20794, approximately 62.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 37.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20794? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20794 is 7.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Reading Census Demographics
How to interpret population, income, and education data from the Census Bureau.
Understanding ZIP Code Data
What ZIP codes are, how ZCTAs differ, and what the data reveals.
Best ZIP Codes for Families
Key factors to evaluate when choosing a family-friendly neighborhood.
ZIP Codes for Relocation
Data-driven tips for evaluating ZIP codes before a move.

Official Data Resources for Jessup, MD

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.

U.S. Census Bureau
Official demographic, economic, and housing data from the American Community Survey.
HUD Fair Market Rents
Department of Housing and Urban Development rental cost estimates by metropolitan area.
FBI Uniform Crime Reports
Official crime statistics compiled from law enforcement agencies nationwide.
FHFA House Price Index
Federal Housing Finance Agency home value trends based on repeat sales and appraisals.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.