20842 ZIP Code — Dickerson, MD

Montgomery County, Maryland

ZIP code 20842 is located in Dickerson, Maryland, within Montgomery County. It covers approximately 55.65 square miles and serves a population of 1,927 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240/301.

About ZIP code 20842

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $670,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($152,917) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with public administration as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 41 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area. Remote work is prevalent — 31% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 20842 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,927

population

55.65

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

20842 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 20842

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 20842. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Dickerson	Acceptable
Dickerson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

20839 Beallsville (1.2 mi) 20838 Barnesville (4.4 mi) 20841 Boyds (5.7 mi) 20837 Poolesville (5.8 mi) 20176 Leesburg (6.1 mi) 21790 Tuscarora (6.2 mi) 21710 Adamstown (6.5 mi) 21777 Point Of Rocks (8.1 mi) 20874 Germantown (8.2 mi) 20871 Clarksburg (8.5 mi) 20876 Germantown (9.8 mi) 20129 Paeonian Springs (10 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,927
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	031

Geography
Land area	55.65 sq mi
Water area	2.43 sq mi
Latitude	39.1999
Longitude	-77.4206
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	15.3%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	20.2%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.1%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	29.5%	23.3%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

1,927

Population

People per sq mi

47.3

Median age

$152,917

Median household income

$68,311

Per capita income

$670,500

Median home value

$1,603

Median monthly rent

78.2%

Home ownership

1.8%

Poverty rate

1.6%

Unemployment

573

Housing units

53.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

133

45–54

129

139

55–59

136

60–64

126

65–74

123

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	407	21.1%
18 and over	1,520	78.9%
65 and over	351	18.2%
Median age	47.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 62.9%

Black or African American 12.6%

Hispanic or Latino 9.4%

Other race 6.4%

Two or more races 6.2%

Asian 2.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	1,338	62.9%
Black or African American	268	12.6%
Hispanic or Latino	199	9.4%
Other race	137	6.4%
Two or more races	131	6.2%
Asian	45	2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	15.3%	20.6%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	20.2%	24.2%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.1%	31.9%	30.1%
Over $200k	29.5%	23.3%	13.4%

$10k–$15k 0.6%

$15k–$25k 1.1%

$25k–$35k 2.6%

$35k–$50k 0.6%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 15.5%

$150k–$200k 14.9%

$200k+ 35.8%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	0.6%
$15k–$25k	1.1%
$25k–$35k	2.6%
$35k–$50k	0.6%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	9.6%
$100k–$150k	15.5%
$150k–$200k	14.9%
$200k+	35.8%
Median income	$152,917

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.1%

$50k–$100k 1.8%

$150k–$200k 1.4%

$200k–$300k 9.7%

$300k–$500k 20.4%

$500k–$1M 41.2%

$1M+ 23.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$670,500
Median rent / month	$1,603
Owner occupied	78.2%
Renter occupied	21.8%
Vacant	8.2%
Single-family detached	92.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	2.2%
Median rooms	7.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.93

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	9.9%
2000–2009	8.1%
1990–1999	9.4%
1980–1989	5.4%
1970–1979	13.0%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	12.4%
1940–1949	3.6%
1939 or earlier	31.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	11.7%
3 bedrooms	41.1%
4 bedrooms	27.5%
5+ bedrooms	14.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.8%
1 vehicle	13.1%
2 vehicles	32.1%
3 or more	51.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.2%
Electricity	34.7%
Propane / LP gas	7.5%
Fuel oil	45.8%
Wood	4.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	434	66.1%
Cohabiting couple	35	5.3%
Male householder, no spouse	69	10.5%
Female householder, no spouse	119	18.1%
Households with children under 18	203	30.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	258	39.3%
Average household size	2.93

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.9%	26.5%
Married	61.4%	63.1%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	1.6%	4.6%
Divorced	10.1%	5.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.3%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 25.6%

Some college, no degree 12.9%

Associate's degree 4.1%

Bachelor's degree 23.5%

Graduate / professional 29.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.6%
Bachelor's or higher	53.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	12	2.8%
Kindergarten	13	3.1%
Elementary school	156	36.8%
High school	132	31.1%
College / grad school	111	26.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Public administration 17.3%

Professional & management 16.7%

Education & healthcare 16.5%

Agriculture & mining 11.4%

Other services 8.1%

Construction 7.7%

Information 6.6%

Retail trade 5.7%

Manufacturing 4.2%

Finance & real estate 2.8%

Transportation & utilities 1.6%

Wholesale trade 0.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	59.1%
Service	16.0%
Sales & office	11.4%
Natural resources & construction	8.8%
Production & transportation	4.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	55.1%
Government	25.9%
Self-employed	15.4%
Unpaid family workers	3.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	53.0%
Carpool	4.3%
Public transit	4.1%
Walk	6.5%
Work from home	31.2%
Other means	0.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	40.5

Poverty

All people 1.8%

Under 18 years 2.0%

18 and over 1.8%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 11.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.1%
Retirement income	30.4%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	4.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	23.7%
High blood pressure	31.9%
High cholesterol	38.3%
Diabetes	9.0%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	8.6%
Arthritis	23.2%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	5.2%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.9%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	15.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.3%
Depression	17.5%
Fair or poor health	9.3%
Poor mental health	11.5%
Poor physical health	7.2%
No health insurance	8.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.0%
Visited dentist	73.2%
Cholesterol screening	94.7%
Teeth loss	7.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	106	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.5%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	7.0%
65 and over	28.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.0%
Public insurance	31.6%
No insurance	2.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,820	94.4%
Spanish	103	5.7%
Other Indo-European	38	2.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	53	2.9%
Other languages	4	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,672	86.8%
Born in same state	1,632	84.7%
Born in different state	890	46.2%
Foreign born	40	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	255	13.2%
Not a US citizen	152	59.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	290	15%
French	166	8.6%
Arab	109	5.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	5	0.3%
English	4	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.1%
Internet access	96.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 20842

What city is ZIP code 20842 in?

ZIP code 20842 is primarily assigned to Dickerson, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 20842 in?

ZIP code 20842 falls within Montgomery County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 20842?

53% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 20842?

The median household income in ZIP code 20842 is $152,917, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 20842?

The median home value in ZIP code 20842 is $670,500.

What is the population of ZIP code 20842?

ZIP code 20842 has an estimated population of 1,927 residents, with a density of 35 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 20842 in?

ZIP code 20842 observes the EST timezone.