PlainZIP

Ashton, MD · standard

ZIP Code 20861

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

1,875
189/sq mi
$163,438
Median income
$852,700
Median home value
77.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Ashton pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 3%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 4%
home value, US ZIPs
189
people per sq mi
99%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 20861 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 20861 covers 9.9 square miles in Ashton, Montgomery County, Maryland (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,875 residents on file, a density of 189 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 20861 skews affluent, with a median household income of $163,438 (43% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $70,654. Local economic indicators show a 6.5% poverty rate alongside 0.0% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $852,700 (91% above the state average); renters pay a median of - monthly, and 98.5% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 77.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 51, and the average commute is -. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Montgomery County, so you can benchmark 20861 against its immediate geography rather than a 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 20861

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ashton, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 20861.

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 20861, Ashton, 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

1,875

Population

9.9

Area (sq mi)

189

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 20861?

51.0

Median Age

43.2%

Male

56.8%

Female

26.4%

Foreign-Born

White 51.6%
African American 21.4%
Asian 11.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%

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?

$163,438

Median Household Income

+43% vs state

$70,654

Per Capita Income

6.5%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 20861 ranks nationally

Ashton, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$163,438 Top 3% higher than 97% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. 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 85.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 77.4%

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

What does housing look like?

971

Total Housing Units

917

Occupied Units

54

Vacant Units

3.14

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 98.5%
Renter 1.5%

$852,700

Median Home Value

+91% vs state

1994

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

+6.9%

YoY Change (2023)

218

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+118%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 20861 have increased 6.9% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +118% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2019 +1.0% 170
2020 +3.5% 176
2021 +7.8% 190
2022 +7.5% 204
2023 +6.9% 218

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 70 business establishments in ZIP 20861, employing approximately 586 people with a combined annual payroll of $37,945,000.

70

Businesses

586

Employees

$37.9M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 13 18.6%
Construction 10 14.3%
Other services (except public administration) 9 12.9%
Accommodation and food services 8 11.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 7 10.0%
Retail trade 6 8.6%
Health care and social assistance 5 7.1%

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 20861 vs 20860 →

ZIP 20861 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 20861 ranks #9 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 20861 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 20861 ranks #7 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
20860 Sandy Spring, MD 2,396 1.7 mi
20905 Silver Spring, MD 18,044 2.8 mi
20777 Highland, MD 3,314 2.2 mi
20862 Brinklow, MD 343 2.4 mi
20868 Spencerville, MD 790 2.4 mi
20759 Fulton, MD 3,355 3.7 mi
20832 Olney, MD 24,965 4.0 mi
21036 Dayton, MD 2,114 5.6 mi
21029 Clarksville, MD 11,333 4.4 mi
20904 Silver Spring, MD 54,612 6.0 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 Ashton, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 20861 in? ▼
ZIP code 20861 (Ashton) 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 20861? ▼
ZIP code 20861 in Ashton, MD has a population of 1,875 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 20861? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 20861 is $163,438, which is 114% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 20861? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 20861 is $852,700, which is 207% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 20861? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 20861 is White at 51.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 20861? ▼
ZIP code 20861 has 70 business establishments employing approximately 586 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 20861? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 20861 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (13), Construction (10), Other services (except public administration) (9). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 20861? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 20861 increased by 6.9% in 2023. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 118%. 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 20861? ▼
In ZIP code 20861, 85.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 77.4% 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 20861? ▼
In ZIP code 20861, approximately 98.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 1.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 20861? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 20861 is 6.5% 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.