20861 ZIP Code — Ashton, MD

Montgomery County, Maryland

ZIP code 20861 is located in Ashton, Maryland, within Montgomery County. It covers approximately 5.18 square miles and serves a population of 3,031 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240/301.

About ZIP code 20861

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $880,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 99%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($175,250) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 35 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 26% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 20861 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,031

population

5.18

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

20861 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 20861

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 20861. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ashton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

20860 Sandy Spring (2.1 mi) 20777 Highland (2.1 mi) 20868 Spencerville (2.2 mi) 20905 Silver Spring (2.6 mi) 20905 Silver Spring (2.6 mi) 20759 Fulton (3.5 mi) 20832 Olney (4.3 mi) 21029 Clarksville (4.3 mi) 20866 Burtonsville (4.6 mi) 20897 Suburb Maryland Fac (5.5 mi) 20906 Silver Spring (5.7 mi) 20833 Brookeville (6.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,031
Population density	585 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	5.18 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	39.1491
Longitude	-76.9913
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	240/301

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	1.7%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	8.3%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	54.6%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	35.4%	23.3%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

3,031

Population

585

People per sq mi

53.2

Median age

$175,250

Median household income

$79,247

Per capita income

$880,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

98.7%

Home ownership

8.0%

Poverty rate

11.1%

Unemployment

1,079

Housing units

72.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

189

15–19

187

20–24

25–34

119

35–44

118

187

45–54

186

188

55–59

186

60–64

273

65–74

271

146

75–84

145

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	545	18.0%
18 and over	2,486	82.0%
65 and over	886	29.2%
Median age	53.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 40.5%

Asian 16%

Black or African American 14.6%

Hispanic or Latino 13.8%

Other race 8.5%

Two or more races 6.5%

Group	Count	%
White	1,425	40.5%
Asian	564	16%
Black or African American	513	14.6%
Hispanic or Latino	484	13.8%
Other race	300	8.5%
Two or more races	229	6.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	1.7%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	8.3%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	54.6%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	35.4%	23.3%	13.4%

Under $10k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 1.8%

$25k–$35k 4.8%

$50k–$75k 6.3%

$75k–$100k 2.9%

$100k–$150k 24.0%

$150k–$200k 18.3%

$200k+ 40.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	1.8%
$25k–$35k	4.8%
$50k–$75k	6.3%
$75k–$100k	2.9%
$100k–$150k	24.0%
$150k–$200k	18.3%
$200k+	40.9%
Median income	$175,250

Housing

Home values

$300k–$500k 12.7%

$500k–$1M 50.4%

$1M+ 36.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$880,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	98.7%
Renter occupied	1.3%
Vacant	4.6%
Single-family detached	89.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	10.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.93

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	28.2%
1990–1999	36.3%
1980–1989	6.5%
1970–1979	9.1%
1960–1969	13.9%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	2.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.3%
2 bedrooms	1.3%
3 bedrooms	16.2%
4 bedrooms	36.8%
5+ bedrooms	44.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.1%
1 vehicle	9.4%
2 vehicles	43.7%
3 or more	45.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.2%
Electricity	37.4%
Propane / LP gas	4.3%
Fuel oil	16.4%
Solar	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	821	78.7%
Cohabiting couple	82	7.9%
Male householder, no spouse	84	8.1%
Female householder, no spouse	56	5.4%
Households with children under 18	297	28.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	464	44.5%
Average household size	2.91

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.8%	28.1%
Married	71.5%	64.3%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	2.6%	2.7%
Divorced	3.1%	4.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.2%

Some HS, no diploma 0.5%

HS graduate 7.8%

Some college, no degree 9.2%

Associate's degree 4.0%

Bachelor's degree 29.0%

Graduate / professional 43.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.4%
Bachelor's or higher	72.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	22	2.3%
Kindergarten	42	4.4%
Elementary school	268	28.0%
High school	182	19.0%
College / grad school	443	46.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.9%

Professional & management 30.6%

Finance & real estate 8.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.5%

Public administration 6.5%

Construction 6.4%

Retail trade 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 2.5%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	62.7%
Service	9.1%
Sales & office	25.3%
Natural resources & construction	1.0%
Production & transportation	1.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.8%
Government	22.7%
Self-employed	9.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	60.3%
Carpool	8.2%
Public transit	3.2%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	25.9%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	34.9

Poverty

All people 8.0%

Under 18 years 8.8%

18 and over 7.8%

Married-couple families 7.3%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.9%
Retirement income	40.7%
Supplemental Security	1.4%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	21.6%
High blood pressure	30.1%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	8.3%
Heart disease	5.3%
Stroke	2.4%
Asthma	8.3%
Arthritis	21.4%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	4.6%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	8.7%
Binge drinking	12.9%
No physical activity	14.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	16.3%
Fair or poor health	8.6%
Poor mental health	10.9%
Poor physical health	6.7%
No health insurance	7.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.6%
Visited dentist	73.6%
Cholesterol screening	94.7%
Teeth loss	5.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	106	4.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	4.2%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	2.6%
65 and over	9.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	90.4%
Public insurance	35.5%
No insurance	0.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,978	98.3%
Spanish	172	5.8%
Other Indo-European	146	4.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	12	0.4%
Other languages	14	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,221	73.3%
Born in same state	2,189	72.2%
Born in different state	972	32.1%
Foreign born	32	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	810	26.7%
Not a US citizen	755	93.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	213	7%
Italian	171	5.6%
Arab	95	3.1%
Irish	81	2.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	23	0.8%
German	14	0.5%
Polish	13	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.4%
Internet access	100.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 20861

What city is ZIP code 20861 in?

ZIP code 20861 is primarily assigned to Ashton, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 20861 in?

ZIP code 20861 falls within Montgomery County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 20861?

72% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 20861 mostly owner-occupied?

99% of occupied units in ZIP code 20861 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 20861 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 20861 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 20861 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 20861 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 20861 in?

ZIP code 20861 observes the EST timezone.