PlainZIP

Bethesda, MD · standard

ZIP Code 20816

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

16,208
1,791/sq mi
$232,656
Median income
$1,217,200
Median home value
88.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Bethesda pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 1%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 1%
home value, US ZIPs
1,791
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20816 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 20816 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, home to 16,208 residents across 9.0 square miles, a density of 1,791 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 20816 skews affluent, with a median household income of $232,656 (104% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $114,267. Local economic indicators show a 4.5% poverty rate alongside 5.1% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $1,217,200 (172% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,674 monthly, and 82.7% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 88.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.4, and the average commute is 27 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Montgomery County, letting you compare 20816 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 20816

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Bethesda, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20816.

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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20816, Bethesda, 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

16,208

Population

9.0

Area (sq mi)

1,791

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 20816?

43.4

Median Age

46.3%

Male

53.7%

Female

18.0%

Foreign-Born

White 76.1%
African American 4.5%
Asian 5.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%

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?

$232,656

Median Household Income

+104% vs state

$114,267

Per Capita Income

4.5%

Poverty Rate

5.1%

Unemployment Rate

27.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 20816 ranks nationally

Bethesda, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$232,656 Top 1% higher than 99% 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%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Below this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Below this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). This entry sits in this band. 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 90.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 88.5%

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

What does housing look like?

6,701

Total Housing Units

6,400

Occupied Units

301

Vacant Units

2.83

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 82.7%
Renter 17.3%

$1,217,200

Median Home Value

+172% vs state

$2,674

Median Rent

1959

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

+6.4%

YoY Change (2024)

271

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+171%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 20816 have increased 6.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +171% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -4.3% 203
2021 +5.4% 214
2022 +7.1% 230
2023 +11.1% 255
2024 +6.4% 271

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 425 business establishments in ZIP 20816, employing approximately 4,396 people with a combined annual payroll of $312,480,000.

425

Businesses

4,396

Employees

$312.5M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 137 32.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 49 11.5%
Other services (except public administration) 46 10.8%
Health care and social assistance 38 8.9%
Retail trade 34 8.0%
Educational services 20 4.7%
Finance and insurance 19 4.5%
Accommodation and food services 19 4.5%
Construction 16 3.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 14 3.3%
Information 11 2.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 9 2.1%
Wholesale trade 4 0.9%
Industries not classified 3 0.7%

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 20816 vs 20812 →

ZIP 20816 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 20816 ranks #8 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 20816 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 20816 ranks #6 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
20812 Glen Echo, MD 255 1.5 mi
20016 Washington, DC 32,519 1.9 mi
22207 Arlington, VA 30,920 3.4 mi
20818 Cabin John, MD 1,962 2.7 mi
22101 Mc Lean, VA 29,887 2.8 mi
20814 Bethesda, MD 27,642 3.5 mi
20815 Chevy Chase, MD 29,082 2.9 mi
20015 Washington, DC 15,332 3.3 mi
20817 Bethesda, MD 36,240 3.3 mi
20008 Washington, DC 27,525 3.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Montgomery County

20906 standard
Silver Spring, MD
Pop: 64,696
20878 standard
Gaithersburg, MD
Pop: 62,446
20874 standard
Germantown, MD
Pop: 57,367
20904 standard
Silver Spring, MD
Pop: 54,612
20854 standard
Potomac, MD
Pop: 49,611
20902 standard
Silver Spring, MD
Pop: 48,841

Related Areas

Montgomery County Bethesda, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 20816 in? ▼
ZIP code 20816 (Bethesda) is located in Montgomery County, Maryland. Montgomery County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/montgomery-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 20816? ▼
ZIP code 20816 in Bethesda, MD has a population of 16,208 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 20816? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 20816 is $232,656, which is 205% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20816? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 20816 is $1,217,200, which is 338% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20816? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 20816 is White at 76.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20816? ▼
ZIP code 20816 has 425 business establishments employing approximately 4,396 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20816? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20816 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (137), Real estate and rental and leasing (49), Other services (except public administration) (46). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20816? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20816 increased by 6.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 171%. 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 20816? ▼
In ZIP code 20816, 90.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 88.5% 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 20816? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 20816 is 27.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 20816? ▼
In ZIP code 20816, approximately 82.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20816? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20816 is 4.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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