20646 ZIP Code — La Plata, MD

Charles County, Maryland

ZIP code 20646 is located in La Plata, Maryland, within Charles County. It covers approximately 79.77 square miles and serves a population of 21,248 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 240/301.

About ZIP code 20646

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $431,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $130,168. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 31% 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. An above-average commute of 39 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 20646 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

21,248

population

79.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

20646 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 20646

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 20646. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
La Plata	Acceptable
La Plata	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

20677 Port Tobacco (2.3 mi) 20611 Bel Alton (3.6 mi) 20675 Pomfret (4.8 mi) 20695 White Plains (5.3 mi) 20632 Faulkner (5.9 mi) 20693 Welcome (6.7 mi) 20602 Waldorf (7.8 mi) 20603 Waldorf (8 mi) 20617 Bryantown (8.2 mi) 20658 Marbury (9.1 mi) 20640 Indian Head (9.4 mi) 20601 Waldorf (10.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,248
Population density	266 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	79.77 sq mi
Water area	0.69 sq mi
Latitude	38.5118
Longitude	-77.0068
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	17.2%	20.2%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	43.4%	38.4%	30.1%
Over $200k	14.9%	13.4%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

21,248

Population

266

People per sq mi

43.1

Median age

$130,168

Median household income

$50,238

Per capita income

$431,900

Median home value

$1,590

Median monthly rent

84.7%

Home ownership

4.1%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

6,798

Housing units

33.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

515

Under 5

494

568

5–9

546

815

10–14

783

754

15–19

725

595

20–24

572

1,034

25–34

994

1,387

35–44

1,333

1,680

45–54

1,613

972

55–59

934

748

60–64

718

961

65–74

924

576

75–84

553

232

85+

222

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,673	22.0%
18 and over	16,575	78.0%
65 and over	3,468	16.3%
Median age	43.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 65.8%

Black or African American 23.9%

Two or more races 4.5%

Asian 2.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

Other race 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	14,213	65.8%
Black or African American	5,152	23.9%
Two or more races	979	4.5%
Asian	564	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	344	1.6%
Other race	238	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	102	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	17.2%	20.2%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	28.0%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	43.4%	38.4%	30.1%
Over $200k	14.9%	13.4%	13.4%

Under $10k 3.2%

$10k–$15k 0.8%

$15k–$25k 3.1%

$25k–$35k 2.1%

$35k–$50k 5.4%

$50k–$75k 14.3%

$75k–$100k 8.5%

$100k–$150k 19.9%

$150k–$200k 19.2%

$200k+ 23.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.2%
$10k–$15k	0.8%
$15k–$25k	3.1%
$25k–$35k	2.1%
$35k–$50k	5.4%
$50k–$75k	14.3%
$75k–$100k	8.5%
$100k–$150k	19.9%
$150k–$200k	19.2%
$200k+	23.4%
Median income	$130,168

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.9%

$100k–$150k 0.6%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k–$300k 15.7%

$300k–$500k 47.8%

$500k–$1M 31.0%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$431,900
Median rent / month	$1,590
Owner occupied	84.7%
Renter occupied	15.3%
Vacant	6.7%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	4.5%
Mobile homes	0.6%
Median rooms	7.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.2%
2010–2019	10.4%
2000–2009	19.7%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	21.0%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	5.6%
1950–1959	4.7%
1940–1949	3.7%
1939 or earlier	3.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	3.0%
2 bedrooms	12.5%
3 bedrooms	38.3%
4 bedrooms	33.3%
5+ bedrooms	10.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.8%
1 vehicle	23.1%
2 vehicles	37.8%
3 or more	34.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.8%
Electricity	67.9%
Propane / LP gas	5.6%
Fuel oil	17.8%
Wood	2.6%
Solar	0.5%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,308	58.2%
Cohabiting couple	192	2.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,125	15.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,774	24.0%
Households with children under 18	2,489	33.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,454	33.2%
Average household size	2.77

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.1%	25.4%
Married	53.6%	52.5%
Separated	0.7%	1.2%
Widowed	4.2%	10.7%
Divorced	8.4%	10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 2.9%

HS graduate 28.2%

Some college, no degree 24.7%

Associate's degree 8.8%

Bachelor's degree 20.3%

Graduate / professional 13.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.9%
Bachelor's or higher	33.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	359	6.5%
Kindergarten	200	3.6%
Elementary school	2,265	40.9%
High school	1,268	22.9%
College / grad school	1,440	26.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.7%

Public administration 17.4%

Professional & management 13.8%

Retail trade 10.4%

Construction 9.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.4%

Other services 5.0%

Manufacturing 3.4%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Information 1.2%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	47.4%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	22.4%
Natural resources & construction	7.5%
Production & transportation	9.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	65.8%
Government	30.6%
Self-employed	3.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.1%
Carpool	4.4%
Public transit	2.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	15.3%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	38.5

Poverty

All people 4.1%

Under 18 years 3.5%

18 and over 4.2%

Married-couple families 0.1%

Female-led households 5.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.5%
Retirement income	32.6%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.7%
High blood pressure	36.6%
High cholesterol	35.1%
Diabetes	10.5%
Heart disease	5.5%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	25.0%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.8%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.4%
Binge drinking	14.3%
No physical activity	22.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.7%
Depression	17.3%
Fair or poor health	11.4%
Poor mental health	13.5%
Poor physical health	8.1%
No health insurance	9.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.9%
Visited dentist	66.9%
Cholesterol screening	92.6%
Teeth loss	10.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,106	12.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.9%
Under 18	3.8%
18–64 years	9.9%
65 and over	31.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	86.9%
Public insurance	28.8%
No insurance	1.6%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,239	95.3%
Spanish	275	1.4%
Other Indo-European	35	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	94	0.5%
Other languages	108	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	19,887	93.6%
Born in same state	19,301	90.8%
Born in different state	9,772	46.0%
Foreign born	586	2.8%
Naturalized citizen	1,361	6.4%
Not a US citizen	784	57.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,817	13.3%
Italian	2,739	12.9%
Arab	1,052	5%
English	279	1.3%
Polish	222	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	86	0.4%
Dutch	37	0.2%
German	36	0.2%
Norwegian	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.8%
Internet access	95.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 20646

What city is ZIP code 20646 in?

ZIP code 20646 is primarily assigned to La Plata, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 20646 in?

ZIP code 20646 falls within Charles County, Maryland.

Is ZIP code 20646 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 20646 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 20646 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 20646 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 20646?

The median household income in ZIP code 20646 is $130,168, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 20646?

The median home value in ZIP code 20646 is $431,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 20646 in?

ZIP code 20646 observes the EST timezone.