Bethesda, MD · standard
ZIP Code 20817
Montgomery County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 36,240
- 1,008/sq mi
- $249,332
- Median income
- $1,183,600
- Median home value
- 85.6%
- 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
- 1,008
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20817 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 20817 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 36.0 square miles in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland. The area is home to 36,240 residents, producing a population density of 1,008 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 20817 against Maryland and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 20817 sits at $249,332 (118% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $127,135. The poverty rate stands at 4.0% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $1,183,600 (165% above the state average) with median rent at $3,185 per month, and 81.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 20817 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 85.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 45.8, and the average commute is 29 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Montgomery County, so you can benchmark 20817 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 20817
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20817.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
322 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
207 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
142 establishments
- Finance and insurance 82
Finance and insurance
82 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 80
Real estate and rental and leasing
80 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20817, Bethesda, 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
36,240
Population
36.0
Area (sq mi)
1,008
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 20817?
45.8
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
28.6%
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?
$249,332
Median Household Income
+118% vs state
$127,135
Per Capita Income
4.0%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
29.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 20817 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$249,332 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?
14,357
Total Housing Units
13,660
Occupied Units
697
Vacant Units
2.73
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$1,183,600
Median Home Value
+165% vs state
$3,185
Median Rent
1969
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
+7.4%
YoY Change (2024)
294
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+194%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 20817 have increased 7.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +194% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.0% | 217 |
| 2021 | +6.9% | 233 |
| 2022 | +9.2% | 254 |
| 2023 | +7.8% | 274 |
| 2024 | +7.4% | 294 |
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 1,196 business establishments in ZIP 20817, employing approximately 28,442 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,685,341,000.
1,196
Businesses
28,442
Employees
$2.7B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 322 | 26.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 207 | 17.3% |
| Retail trade | 142 | 11.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 82 | 6.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 80 | 6.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 65 | 5.4% |
| Construction | 48 | 4.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 45 | 3.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 43 | 3.6% |
| Information | 34 | 2.8% |
| Educational services | 29 | 2.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 29 | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 28 | 2.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 25 | 2.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 0.8% |
| Utilities | 4 | 0.3% |
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 20817 vs 20812 →
ZIP 20817 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20852
Rockville (20852)
40,365 residents
- 20817
Bethesda (20817)
36,240 residents
- 22101
Mc Lean (22101)
29,887 residents
- 20815
Chevy Chase (20815)
29,082 residents
- 20814
Bethesda (20814)
27,642 residents
- 20895
Kensington (20895)
19,054 residents
- 20816
Bethesda (20816)
16,208 residents
- 20851 14,191
Rockville (20851)
14,191 residents
- 20818 1,962
Cabin John (20818)
1,962 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20817 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 20817 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20896
Garrett Park (20896)
$250,001 median income
- 22101
Mc Lean (22101)
$250,001 median income
- 20817
Bethesda (20817)
$249,332 median income
- 20818
Cabin John (20818)
$245,982 median income
- 20816
Bethesda (20816)
$232,656 median income
- 20812
Glen Echo (20812)
$213,750 median income
- 20815
Chevy Chase (20815)
$194,971 median income
- 20895
Kensington (20895)
$173,625 median income
- 20814
Bethesda (20814)
$150,996 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 20817 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20812 | Glen Echo, MD | 255 | 2.2 mi |
| 20818 | Cabin John, MD | 1,962 | 1.8 mi |
| 20814 | Bethesda, MD | 27,642 | 2.5 mi |
| 20816 | Bethesda, MD | 16,208 | 3.3 mi |
| 22101 | Mc Lean, VA | 29,887 | 4.2 mi |
| 20852 | Rockville, MD | 40,365 | 3.9 mi |
| 20815 | Chevy Chase, MD | 29,082 | 3.9 mi |
| 20896 | Garrett Park, MD | 906 | 4.0 mi |
| 20895 | Kensington, MD | 19,054 | 4.3 mi |
| 20851 | Rockville, MD | 14,191 | 5.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Montgomery County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the population of ZIP code 20817? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 20817? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 20817? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 20817? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20817? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20817? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 20817? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 20817? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 20817? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20817? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Bethesda, MD
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.