Sandy Spring, MD · standard
ZIP Code 20860
Montgomery County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,396
- 243/sq mi High-density area
- $654,200
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 57.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Sandy Spring pairs top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 7%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 243
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20860 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 20860 covers 9.9 square miles in Sandy Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,396 residents on file, a density of 243 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
Median household income is not on file for ZIP 20860, but per-capita income is $88,426. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 4.5% and unemployment is 2.5%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $654,200 (46% above the average Maryland ZIP), while 87.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,405.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 57.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Montgomery County, so 20860 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 20860
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sandy Spring, MD
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20860.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
16 establishments
- Construction
Construction
9 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 6
Professional, scientific, and technical services
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 6
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Retail trade 5
Retail trade
5 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 20860, Sandy Spring, 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
2,396
Population
9.9
Area (sq mi)
243
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 20860?
49.6
Median Age
45.3%
Male
54.7%
Female
19.3%
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?
$88,426
Per Capita Income
4.5%
Poverty Rate
2.5%
Unemployment Rate
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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
798housing units
798
Total Housing Units
735
Occupied Units
63
Vacant Units
2.47
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$654,200
Median Home Value
+46% vs state ZIP avg
$1,405
Median Rent
1988
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
+14.7%
YoY Change (2024)
233
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+133%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 20860 have increased 14.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +133% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | -5.8% | 170 |
| 2020 | +2.9% | 175 |
| 2021 | +5.0% | 183 |
| 2022 | +14.7% | 210 |
| 2024 | – | 233 |
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 62 business establishments in ZIP 20860, employing approximately 1,111 people with a combined annual payroll of $53,916,000.
62
Businesses
1,111
Employees
$53.9M
Annual Payroll
10
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 16 | 25.8% |
| Construction | 9 | 14.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 9.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 9.7% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 8.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 6.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 | 6.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 4.8% |
| Educational services | 3 | 4.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 4.8% |
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 20860 vs 20861 →
ZIP 20860 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 20906
Silver Spring (20906)
64,696 residents
- 20832 24,965
Olney (20832)
24,965 residents
- 20905 18,044
Silver Spring (20905)
18,044 residents
- 20833 7,735
Brookeville (20833)
7,735 residents
- 20759 3,355
Fulton (20759)
3,355 residents
- 20777 3,314
Highland (20777)
3,314 residents
- 20860 2,396
Sandy Spring (20860)
2,396 residents
- 21036 2,114
Dayton (21036)
2,114 residents
- 20861 1,875
Ashton (20861)
1,875 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 20860 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20861 | Ashton, MD | 1,875 | 1.7 mi |
| 20862 | Brinklow, MD | 343 | 2.5 mi |
| 20832 | Olney, MD | 24,965 | 2.4 mi |
| 20905 | Silver Spring, MD | 18,044 | 3.2 mi |
| 20868 | Spencerville, MD | 790 | 3.6 mi |
| 20833 | Brookeville, MD | 7,735 | 4.2 mi |
| 20777 | Highland, MD | 3,314 | 3.7 mi |
| 20906 | Silver Spring, MD | 64,696 | 4.5 mi |
| 20759 | Fulton, MD | 3,355 | 5.4 mi |
| 21036 | Dayton, MD | 2,114 | 6.1 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 20860, both outside MD so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,396 here; floor ≥1,000).
More ZIP Codes in Montgomery County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 20860 in?
ZIP code 20860 (Sandy Spring) 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 20860?
ZIP code 20860 in Sandy Spring, MD has a population of 2,396 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20860?
The median home value in ZIP 20860 is $654,200, which is 135% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20860?
The largest racial group in ZIP 20860 is White at 42.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 17.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20860?
ZIP code 20860 has 62 business establishments employing approximately 1,111 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20860?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20860 are: Health care and social assistance (16), Construction (9), Professional, scientific, and technical services (6). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20860?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20860 increased by 14.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 133%. 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 20860?
In ZIP code 20860, 66.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 57.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 20860?
In ZIP code 20860, approximately 87.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20860?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20860 is 4.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 20860's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 20860 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.