Dickerson, MD · standard
ZIP Code 20842
Montgomery County, Maryland — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,824
- 13/sq mi
- $204,013
- Median income
- $745,800
- Median home value
- 52.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Dickerson pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 1%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 5%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20842 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 20842 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 138.2 square miles in Dickerson, Montgomery County, Maryland. The area is home to 1,824 residents, producing a population density of 13 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 20842 against Maryland and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 20842 sits at $204,013 (79% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $82,106. The poverty rate stands at 1.2% and the unemployment rate at 0.5%. On housing, the median home value is $745,800 (67% above the state average) with median rent at $1,777 per month, and 82.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 20842 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 52.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.5, and the average commute is 41 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Montgomery County, so you can benchmark 20842 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 20842
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20842.
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
18 establishments
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 7
Professional, scientific, and technical services
7 establishments
- Manufacturing 5
Manufacturing
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 4
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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20842, Dickerson, 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
1,824
Population
138.2
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 20842?
48.5
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
17.9%
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?
$204,013
Median Household Income
+79% vs state
$82,106
Per Capita Income
1.2%
Poverty Rate
0.5%
Unemployment Rate
41.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 20842 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$204,013 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?
855
Total Housing Units
802
Occupied Units
53
Vacant Units
2.95
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$745,800
Median Home Value
+67% vs state
$1,777
Median Rent
1979
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
+4.0%
YoY Change (2023)
199
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+99%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 20842 have increased 4.0% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +99% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -0.4% | 158 |
| 2020 | +1.6% | 160 |
| 2021 | +5.3% | 169 |
| 2022 | +13.4% | 192 |
| 2023 | +4.0% | 199 |
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 2023. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 61 business establishments in ZIP 20842, employing approximately 444 people with a combined annual payroll of $29,284,000.
61
Businesses
444
Employees
$29.3M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 18 | 29.5% |
| Construction | 9 | 14.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7 | 11.5% |
| Manufacturing | 5 | 8.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 6.6% |
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 20842 vs 20839 →
ZIP 20842 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20176
Leesburg (20176)
46,506 residents
- 20871 13,130
Clarksburg (20871)
13,130 residents
- 20841 10,460
Boyds (20841)
10,460 residents
- 20837 5,789
Poolesville (20837)
5,789 residents
- 21710 4,515
Adamstown (21710)
4,515 residents
- 20842 1,824
Dickerson (20842)
1,824 residents
- 21777 1,470
Point Of Rocks (21777)
1,470 residents
- 20838 259
Barnesville (20838)
259 residents
- 20839 214
Beallsville (20839)
214 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20842 ranks #6 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 20842 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20838
Barnesville (20838)
$250,001 median income
- 20842
Dickerson (20842)
$204,013 median income
- 20841
Boyds (20841)
$184,688 median income
- 20871
Clarksburg (20871)
$177,523 median income
- 20837
Poolesville (20837)
$174,063 median income
- 20176
Leesburg (20176)
$168,299 median income
- 21710
Adamstown (21710)
$163,864 median income
- 20839
Beallsville (20839)
$160,329 median income
- 21777
Point Of Rocks (21777)
$159,708 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 20842 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20839 | Beallsville, MD | 214 | 1.9 mi |
| 20838 | Barnesville, MD | 259 | 3.0 mi |
| 21710 | Adamstown, MD | 4,515 | 6.2 mi |
| 21790 | Tuscarora, MD | 100 | 4.9 mi |
| 20837 | Poolesville, MD | 5,789 | 6.9 mi |
| 20841 | Boyds, MD | 10,460 | 5.7 mi |
| 21717 | Buckeystown, MD | 54 | 8.7 mi |
| 20176 | Leesburg, VA | 46,506 | 6.2 mi |
| 21777 | Point Of Rocks, MD | 1,470 | 6.5 mi |
| 20871 | Clarksburg, MD | 13,130 | 8.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Montgomery County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 20842 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 20842? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 20842? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 20842? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20842? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20842? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20842? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20842? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 20842? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 20842? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 20842? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20842? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Dickerson, 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.