20816 ZIP Code — Bethesda, MD

Montgomery County, Maryland

ZIP code 20816 is located in Bethesda, Maryland, within Montgomery County. It covers approximately 3.56 square miles and serves a population of 17,390 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240/301.

About ZIP code 20816

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $1,136,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($228,311) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with professional and management as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 31% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 89% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 20816 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a high rate of remote workers.

17,390

population

3.56

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

20816 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 20816

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 20816. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bethesda	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

20812 Glen Echo (1.1 mi) 22101 Mc Lean (1.9 mi) 20818 Cabin John (2.2 mi) 20016 Washington (2.6 mi) 20811 Bethesda (2.6 mi) 20810 Bethesda (2.6 mi) 20889 Bethesda (2.6 mi) 20894 Bethesda (2.6 mi) 22107 Mc Lean (2.9 mi) 22109 Mc Lean (2.9 mi) 22108 Mc Lean (2.9 mi) 22207 Arlington (3.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	17,390
Population density	4,885 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	3.56 sq mi
Water area	0.58 sq mi
Latitude	38.9540
Longitude	-77.1355
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	9.1%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	14.4%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.7%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	51.8%	23.3%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

17,390

Population

4,885

People per sq mi

45.1

Median age

$228,311

Median household income

$117,653

Per capita income

$1,136,500

Median home value

$2,603

Median monthly rent

80.9%

Home ownership

2.9%

Poverty rate

6.0%

Unemployment

5,561

Housing units

89.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

368

Under 5

400

587

5–9

636

843

10–14

915

704

15–19

764

310

20–24

336

459

25–34

498

889

35–44

964

1,484

45–54

1,609

662

55–59

717

602

60–64

652

747

65–74

811

530

75–84

575

157

85+

171

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,726	27.2%
18 and over	12,664	72.8%
65 and over	2,991	17.2%
Median age	45.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.3%

Two or more races 7.6%

Asian 6.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.2%

Black or African American 3.2%

Other race 1.3%

Group	Count	%
White	13,959	75.3%
Two or more races	1,403	7.6%
Asian	1,192	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,143	6.2%
Black or African American	598	3.2%
Other race	238	1.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	9.1%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	14.4%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.7%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	51.8%	23.3%	13.4%

Under $10k 1.5%

$10k–$15k 0.2%

$15k–$25k 3.6%

$25k–$35k 1.1%

$35k–$50k 3.6%

$50k–$75k 3.8%

$75k–$100k 8.1%

$100k–$150k 11.6%

$150k–$200k 12.1%

$200k+ 54.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.5%
$10k–$15k	0.2%
$15k–$25k	3.6%
$25k–$35k	1.1%
$35k–$50k	3.6%
$50k–$75k	3.8%
$75k–$100k	8.1%
$100k–$150k	11.6%
$150k–$200k	12.1%
$200k+	54.5%
Median income	$228,311

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.2%

$50k–$100k 0.2%

$100k–$150k 1.1%

$150k–$200k 0.1%

$200k–$300k 1.6%

$300k–$500k 5.9%

$500k–$1M 28.2%

$1M+ 62.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$1,136,500
Median rent / month	$2,603
Owner occupied	80.9%
Renter occupied	19.1%
Vacant	6.1%
Single-family detached	73.2%
Large apartment buildings	20.1%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	8.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.82

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	4.7%
1990–1999	4.0%
1980–1989	5.3%
1970–1979	15.3%
1960–1969	13.6%
1950–1959	28.3%
1940–1949	10.6%
1939 or earlier	13.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	5.7%
2 bedrooms	18.9%
3 bedrooms	24.1%
4 bedrooms	26.8%
5+ bedrooms	22.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.1%
1 vehicle	30.4%
2 vehicles	49.8%
3 or more	16.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	67.0%
Electricity	27.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.5%
Fuel oil	2.4%
Wood	0.3%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,244	66.7%
Cohabiting couple	97	1.5%
Male householder, no spouse	564	8.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,456	22.9%
Households with children under 18	2,554	40.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,000	31.4%
Average household size	2.73

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	19.9%	25.3%
Married	72.9%	59.7%
Separated	0.1%	1.3%
Widowed	0.4%	4.9%
Divorced	6.7%	8.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 1.8%

Some college, no degree 5.6%

Associate's degree 0.8%

Bachelor's degree 29.6%

Graduate / professional 59.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.5%
Bachelor's or higher	89.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	331	6.3%
Kindergarten	362	6.9%
Elementary school	2,305	43.7%
High school	1,529	29.0%
College / grad school	749	14.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 27.4%

Education & healthcare 20.9%

Public administration 11.5%

Finance & real estate 10.8%

Other services 7.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.8%

Retail trade 4.5%

Information 4.0%

Manufacturing 3.4%

Construction 1.7%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Transportation & utilities 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	78.9%
Service	6.2%
Sales & office	12.4%
Natural resources & construction	1.2%
Production & transportation	1.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.3%
Government	18.3%
Self-employed	9.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	49.6%
Carpool	5.1%
Public transit	6.4%
Walk	3.0%
Work from home	31.2%
Other means	4.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.2

Poverty

All people 2.9%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 3.9%

Married-couple families 0.5%

Female-led households 22.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	26.0%
Retirement income	29.2%
Supplemental Security	0.7%
Cash public assistance	0.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	18.2%
High blood pressure	27.2%
High cholesterol	36.1%
Diabetes	6.7%
Heart disease	4.8%
Stroke	2.0%
Asthma	7.5%
Arthritis	20.0%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	3.4%
Cancer	7.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	5.5%
Binge drinking	12.7%
No physical activity	11.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	24.6%
Depression	15.1%
Fair or poor health	6.1%
Poor mental health	9.2%
Poor physical health	5.2%
No health insurance	5.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	80.1%
Cholesterol screening	95.9%
Teeth loss	3.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	355	2.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.8%
Under 18	2.6%
18–64 years	5.8%
65 and over	22.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	92.3%
Public insurance	20.2%
No insurance	1.9%
Uninsured under 19	2.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	16,622	95.6%
Spanish	649	3.9%
Other Indo-European	100	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	335	2.0%
Other languages	115	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	14,317	82.3%
Born in same state	13,757	79.1%
Born in different state	1,523	8.8%
Foreign born	560	3.2%
Naturalized citizen	3,073	17.7%
Not a US citizen	1,487	48.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,582	14.8%
Italian	2,406	13.8%
Arab	739	4.2%
English	300	1.7%
Polish	298	1.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	76	0.4%
Norwegian	24	0.1%
Dutch	23	0.1%
German	10	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.6%
Internet access	98.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 20816

What city is ZIP code 20816 in?

ZIP code 20816 is primarily assigned to Bethesda, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 20816 in?

ZIP code 20816 falls within Montgomery County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 20816?

89% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 20816 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 20816 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 20816?

The median household income in ZIP code 20816 is $228,311, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 20816?

The median home value in ZIP code 20816 is $1,136,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 20816 in?

ZIP code 20816 observes the EST timezone.