20817 ZIP Code — Bethesda, MD

Montgomery County, Maryland

ZIP code 20817 is located in Bethesda, Maryland, within Montgomery County. It covers approximately 14.04 square miles and serves a population of 37,795 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 301/240.

About ZIP code 20817

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 $1,081,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($231,292) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% 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 30 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 32% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 86% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 20817 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a high rate of remote workers.

37,795

population

14.04

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

20817 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 20817

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 20817. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bethesda	Acceptable
Bethesda	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

20818 Cabin John (1.8 mi) 20812 Glen Echo (2.6 mi) 20892 Bethesda (2.9 mi) 20814 Bethesda (3.1 mi) 20811 Bethesda (3.5 mi) 20810 Bethesda (3.5 mi) 20894 Bethesda (3.5 mi) 20889 Bethesda (3.5 mi) 20816 Bethesda (3.6 mi) 20852 Rockville (3.9 mi) 22067 Greenway (4.4 mi) 20895 Kensington (4.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	37,795
Population density	2,692 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	14.04 sq mi
Water area	0.08 sq mi
Latitude	39.0033
Longitude	-77.1595
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	301/240

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	10.7%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	13.6%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.3%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	51.5%	23.3%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

37,795

Population

2,692

People per sq mi

45.4

Median age

$231,292

Median household income

$118,180

Per capita income

$1,081,500

Median home value

$2,939

Median monthly rent

83.1%

Home ownership

4.2%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

11,942

Housing units

85.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

854

Under 5

889

1,341

5–9

1,397

1,576

10–14

1,642

1,316

15–19

1,370

687

20–24

715

1,136

25–34

1,184

2,201

35–44

2,293

3,160

45–54

3,292

1,398

55–59

1,456

1,280

60–64

1,333

1,893

65–74

1,972

1,167

75–84

1,215

504

85+

524

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,643	25.5%
18 and over	28,152	74.5%
65 and over	7,275	19.2%
Median age	45.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 63%

Asian 14.6%

Two or more races 8%

Hispanic or Latino 6.5%

Black or African American 5.6%

Other race 2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	25,481	63%
Asian	5,915	14.6%
Two or more races	3,240	8%
Hispanic or Latino	2,620	6.5%
Black or African American	2,275	5.6%
Other race	809	2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	56	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	10.7%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	13.6%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	24.3%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	51.5%	23.3%	13.4%

Under $10k 2.0%

$10k–$15k 1.3%

$15k–$25k 2.2%

$25k–$35k 1.9%

$35k–$50k 2.9%

$50k–$75k 6.9%

$75k–$100k 4.8%

$100k–$150k 10.4%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k+ 56.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.0%
$10k–$15k	1.3%
$15k–$25k	2.2%
$25k–$35k	1.9%
$35k–$50k	2.9%
$50k–$75k	6.9%
$75k–$100k	4.8%
$100k–$150k	10.4%
$150k–$200k	11.1%
$200k+	56.4%
Median income	$231,292

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.6%

$50k–$100k 0.1%

$100k–$150k 0.3%

$150k–$200k 0.4%

$200k–$300k 3.9%

$300k–$500k 5.5%

$500k–$1M 32.6%

$1M+ 56.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$1,081,500
Median rent / month	$2,939
Owner occupied	83.1%
Renter occupied	16.9%
Vacant	4.7%
Single-family detached	78.5%
Large apartment buildings	12.2%
Mobile homes	0.4%
Median rooms	8.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.80

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	7.8%
2000–2009	9.2%
1990–1999	4.3%
1980–1989	11.6%
1970–1979	11.6%
1960–1969	20.8%
1950–1959	25.5%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	2.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	4.1%
2 bedrooms	9.3%
3 bedrooms	21.0%
4 bedrooms	33.9%
5+ bedrooms	30.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.7%
1 vehicle	26.7%
2 vehicles	48.9%
3 or more	19.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	73.7%
Electricity	23.7%
Propane / LP gas	0.7%
Fuel oil	1.2%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	9,599	70.8%
Cohabiting couple	274	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,083	8.0%
Female householder, no spouse	2,606	19.2%
Households with children under 18	5,418	39.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,942	36.4%
Average household size	2.77

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	23.7%	20.2%
Married	70.3%	63.6%
Separated	0.1%	0.9%
Widowed	1.8%	6.2%
Divorced	4.1%	9.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 0.6%

HS graduate 4.7%

Some college, no degree 5.4%

Associate's degree 2.2%

Bachelor's degree 30.7%

Graduate / professional 54.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.8%
Bachelor's or higher	85.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	712	7.0%
Kindergarten	566	5.5%
Elementary school	4,719	46.1%
High school	2,616	25.6%
College / grad school	1,621	15.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 26.3%

Education & healthcare 21.6%

Public administration 14.1%

Finance & real estate 9.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.2%

Other services 5.9%

Retail trade 4.3%

Manufacturing 3.5%

Information 3.4%

Construction 2.6%

Transportation & utilities 1.4%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	79.6%
Service	6.8%
Sales & office	10.5%
Natural resources & construction	1.4%
Production & transportation	1.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.4%
Government	22.9%
Self-employed	7.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	50.9%
Carpool	6.1%
Public transit	6.8%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	32.3%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.3

Poverty

All people 4.2%

Under 18 years 2.9%

18 and over 4.6%

Married-couple families 2.2%

Female-led households 9.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.8%
Retirement income	29.5%
Supplemental Security	2.3%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	18.3%
High blood pressure	28.3%
High cholesterol	36.4%
Diabetes	7.4%
Heart disease	5.0%
Stroke	2.1%
Asthma	7.4%
Arthritis	20.2%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	3.5%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	5.9%
Binge drinking	12.0%
No physical activity	12.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	25.4%
Depression	14.5%
Fair or poor health	6.7%
Poor mental health	9.2%
Poor physical health	5.4%
No health insurance	6.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.1%
Visited dentist	78.2%
Cholesterol screening	95.8%
Teeth loss	4.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,074	3.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.7%
Under 18	2.2%
18–64 years	4.9%
65 and over	23.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	90.1%
Public insurance	22.5%
No insurance	2.1%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	36,052	95.4%
Spanish	2,913	8.1%
Other Indo-European	689	1.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	820	2.3%
Other languages	1,031	2.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	27,041	71.5%
Born in same state	26,269	69.5%
Born in different state	6,087	16.1%
Foreign born	772	2.0%
Naturalized citizen	10,754	28.5%
Not a US citizen	6,446	59.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,507	9.3%
French	3,197	8.5%
Arab	1,344	3.6%
Irish	496	1.3%
English	418	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	225	0.6%
Norwegian	162	0.4%
Polish	107	0.3%
German	86	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.9%
Internet access	99.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 20817

What city is ZIP code 20817 in?

ZIP code 20817 is primarily assigned to Bethesda, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 20817 in?

ZIP code 20817 falls within Montgomery County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 20817?

86% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 20817 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 20817 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 20817?

The median household income in ZIP code 20817 is $231,292, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 20817?

The median home value in ZIP code 20817 is $1,081,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 20817 in?

ZIP code 20817 observes the EST timezone.