PlainZIP

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 covers 138.2 square miles in Dickerson, Montgomery County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,824 residents on file, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 20842 skews affluent, with a median household income of $204,013 (79% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $82,106. Local economic indicators show a 1.2% poverty rate alongside 0.5% unemployment. Housing costs here run $745,800 for a typical home value (67% above the state average), with rent averaging $1,777 a month; 82.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 52.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.5, and the average commute is 41 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 20842 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 20842

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Dickerson, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20842.

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 20842, Dickerson, 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

1,824

Population

138.2

Area (sq mi)

13

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 20842?

48.5

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

17.9%

Foreign-Born

White 66.8%
African American 10.3%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 13.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%

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

Dickerson, MD 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

$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 73.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 52.0%

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

Owner 82.4%
Renter 17.6%

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20842 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 20842 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 20842 ranks #2 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
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

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 Dickerson, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 20842 in? ▼
ZIP code 20842 (Dickerson) 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 20842? ▼
ZIP code 20842 in Dickerson, MD has a population of 1,824 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 20842? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 20842 is $204,013, which is 167% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20842? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 20842 is $745,800, which is 168% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20842? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 20842 is White at 66.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20842? ▼
ZIP code 20842 has 61 business establishments employing approximately 444 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20842? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20842 are: Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (18), Construction (9), Professional, scientific, and technical services (7). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20842? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20842 increased by 4.0% in 2023. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 99%. 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 20842? ▼
In ZIP code 20842, 73.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 52.0% 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 20842? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 20842 is 41.3 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 20842? ▼
In ZIP code 20842, approximately 82.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20842? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20842 is 1.2% 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.