PlainZIP

Potomac, MD · standard

ZIP Code 20854

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

49,611
567/sq mi
$250,001
Median income
$1,165,400
Median home value
85.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Potomac 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 2%
home value, US ZIPs
567
people per sq mi
89%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20854 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 20854 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Potomac, Montgomery County, Maryland, with 49,611 residents across 87.5 square miles, a density of 567 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 20854 skews affluent, with a median household income of $250,001 (119% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $114,794. The poverty rate stands at 2.6% and the unemployment rate at 3.0%. Median home value sits at $1,165,400 (160% above the state average), median rent at $3,501 a month, and owner-occupancy at 89.4%.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 85.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.7, and the average commute is 30 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 20854, plus 6 more within Montgomery County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 20854

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Potomac, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20854.

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 20854, Potomac, 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

49,611

Population

87.5

Area (sq mi)

567

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 20854?

47.7

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

29.4%

Foreign-Born

White 60.7%
African American 4.1%
Asian 22.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%

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?

$250,001

Median Household Income

+119% vs state

$114,794

Per Capita Income

2.6%

Poverty Rate

3.0%

Unemployment Rate

29.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 20854 ranks nationally

Potomac, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$250,001 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 89.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 85.7%

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

What does housing look like?

17,311

Total Housing Units

16,751

Occupied Units

560

Vacant Units

2.98

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 89.4%
Renter 10.6%

$1,165,400

Median Home Value

+160% vs state

$3,501

Median Rent

1978

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

+5.4%

YoY Change (2024)

264

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+164%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 20854 have increased 5.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +164% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -0.1% 191
2021 +7.7% 206
2022 +7.7% 222
2023 +12.8% 250
2024 +5.4% 264

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 1,230 business establishments in ZIP 20854, employing approximately 12,073 people with a combined annual payroll of $775,964,000.

1,230

Businesses

12,073

Employees

$776.0M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 403 32.8%
Health care and social assistance 177 14.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 116 9.4%
Other services (except public administration) 77 6.3%
Finance and insurance 70 5.7%
Construction 69 5.6%
Accommodation and food services 69 5.6%
Retail trade 53 4.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 45 3.7%
Educational services 39 3.2%
Information 32 2.6%
Wholesale trade 31 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 27 2.2%
Transportation and warehousing 7 0.6%
Management of companies and enterprises 7 0.6%
Manufacturing 5 0.4%

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 20854 vs 22102 →

ZIP 20854 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 20854 ranks #2 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 20854 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 20854 ranks the highest 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
22102 Mc Lean, VA 21,985 5.9 mi
20850 Rockville, MD 46,340 4.5 mi
22066 Great Falls, VA 18,099 4.6 mi
20817 Bethesda, MD 36,240 4.6 mi
20878 Gaithersburg, MD 62,446 5.7 mi
20852 Rockville, MD 40,365 5.3 mi
20899 Gaithersburg, MD 142 7.6 mi
20818 Cabin John, MD 1,962 5.2 mi
20896 Garrett Park, MD 906 6.8 mi
20877 Gaithersburg, MD 34,321 7.6 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
20902 standard
Silver Spring, MD
Pop: 48,841
20850 standard
Rockville, MD
Pop: 46,340

Related Areas

Montgomery County Potomac, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 20854 in? ▼
ZIP code 20854 (Potomac) 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 20854? ▼
ZIP code 20854 in Potomac, MD has a population of 49,611 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 20854? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 20854 is $250,001, which is 228% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20854? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 20854 is $1,165,400, which is 319% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20854? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 20854 is White at 60.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20854? ▼
ZIP code 20854 has 1,230 business establishments employing approximately 12,073 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20854? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20854 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (403), Health care and social assistance (177), Real estate and rental and leasing (116). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20854? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20854 increased by 5.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 164%. 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 20854? ▼
In ZIP code 20854, 89.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 85.7% 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 20854? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 20854 is 29.6 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 20854? ▼
In ZIP code 20854, approximately 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20854? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20854 is 2.6% 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.