Housing data for Potomac, MD
Potomac, MD has an estimated 45,902 residents and 16,796 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County.
15.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,887 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 45,902 (±1,782)
- Housing units
- 16,796 (±551)
- Households that rent
- 15.2%
- Median gross rent
- $2,887
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −0.1%
What stands out in Potomac
Median home value: $1,157,000 (±$21,405) in Potomac, higher than in Montgomery County ($640,300).
Median household income: $236,675 (±$16,199) in Potomac, higher than in Montgomery County ($132,450).
Households that rent: 15.2% (±2.3 points) in Potomac, lower than in Montgomery County (34.7%).
Median gross rent: $2,887 (±$342) in Potomac, higher than in Montgomery County ($2,068).
- Home values in Potomac
- Income and affordability in Potomac
- Renters and owners in Potomac
- Median rent in Potomac
Housing in Potomac at a glance
- Median rent: $2,887 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,074 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 46.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 15.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $236,675 median household income
- Home values: $1,157,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 13.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 85.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 58.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.5% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 68.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 29.7 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −0.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 15.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $3,660 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 20854)
Potomac against Montgomery County, its state and the nation
| Potomac | Montgomery County | Maryland | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 45,902 (±1,782) | 1,065,949 (exact) | 6,206,011 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 16,796 (±551) | 406,531 (±227) | 2,560,784 (±424) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 15.2% (±2.3 points) | 34.7% (±0.6 points) | 32.4% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,887 (±$342) | $2,068 (±$20) | $1,705 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $236,675 (±$16,199) | $132,450 (±$2,073) | $103,678 (±$597) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,157,000 (±$21,405) | $640,300 (±$5,098) | $419,900 (±$1,385) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $5,539 (±$62) | $4,093 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 58.8% (±3.3 points) | 49.3% (±0.7 points) | 51.2% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.7 minutes (±1.6) | 31.9 minutes (±0.4) | 31.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 97.8% (±0.7 points) | 95.7% (±0.3 points) | 92.4% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 47.4 years (±1.1) | 40.2 years (±0.2) | 39.4 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Potomac covers 25.2 square miles of land, about 1,824 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Potomac has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 45,940 (±843) | 45,902 (±1,782) | −0.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 16,764 (±165) | 16,796 (±551) | +0.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,990 (±$260) | $2,887 (±$342) | +45.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $893,800 (±$10,727) | $1,157,000 (±$21,405) | +29.4% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $195,884 (±$11,572) | $236,675 (±$16,199) | +20.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 12.4% (±1.4 points) | 15.2% (±2.3 points) | +2.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.9% (±2.0 points) | 2.5% (±2.3 points) | +0.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Montgomery County
Potomac has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Montgomery County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Montgomery County recorded 169 violent and 1,549 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Potomac
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20854 | 57% | 50,498 | $3,500 or more | $1,165,400 | $250,000 or more |
| 20817 | 41% | 37,454 | $3,185 | $1,183,600 | $249,332 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Potomac
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin John | 3.2 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,312,900 | 4.9% |
| Glen Echo | 4.2 mi | — | $1,163,500 | 1.0% |
| North Bethesda | 4.3 mi | $2,191 | $731,800 | 49.6% |
| Bethesda | 4.4 mi | $2,469 | $1,169,900 | 36.0% |
| Travilah | 4.4 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,325,100 | 6.9% |
| McLean | 4.8 mi | $3,422 | $1,412,700 | 13.9% |
| Rockville | 5.3 mi | $2,274 | $682,300 | 47.4% |
| Brookmont | 5.4 mi | $2,878 | $1,361,100 | 20.3% |
Places in Maryland most like Potomac
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookmont | $2,878 | $1,361,100 | $247,150 | 20.3% |
| South Kensington | $3,479 | $919,800 | $210,953 | 13.2% |
| Annapolis Neck | $2,489 | $739,100 | $173,879 | 11.7% |
| Bethesda | $2,469 | $1,169,900 | $192,237 | 36.0% |
| Olney | $2,404 | $656,600 | $171,458 | 10.8% |
| North Potomac | $2,413 | $826,200 | $186,514 | 17.1% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Maryland.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Potomac, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,111 | $2,204 | $2,438 | $3,107 | $3,658 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Potomac, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,900 | $58,150 | $74,800 |
| 2 people | $39,900 | $66,450 | $85,450 |
| 3 people | $44,900 | $74,750 | $96,150 |
| 4 people | $49,850 | $83,050 | $106,800 |
| 5 people | $53,850 | $89,700 | $115,350 |
| 6 people | $57,850 | $96,350 | $123,900 |
| 7 people | $61,850 | $103,000 | $132,450 |
| 8 people | $65,850 | $109,650 | $141,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $166,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Potomac is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Potomac
What is the average rent in Potomac, MD?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Potomac is $2,887 (±$342) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Potomac?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Potomac, MD is $1,699 (±$140) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Potomac rent-burdened?
46.1% of renting households in Potomac pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Potomac?
Potomac has an estimated 2,481 (±397) renting households, 15.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Potomac?
The median household income in Potomac is $236,675 (±$16,199) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Potomac, MD?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,157,000 (±$21,405) for owner-occupied homes in Potomac (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Potomac growing?
In Potomac, the number of residents went from 45,940 in 2015–2019 to 45,902 in 2020–2024 (−0.1%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Potomac?
The ZIP codes that cover Potomac are 20854, 20817.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 20854?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 20854 is $3,500 or more a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Potomac CDP, Maryland
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Potomac CDP, Maryland (place:63300, in state:24).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .