ZIP 20879

20879 is one of 48 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Montgomery County, MD.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 34 of the 36 nearby ZIPs shown.

5 school locations in 20879: 4 elementary, 1 high.

In alphabetical order: Flower Hill Elementary, Judith A. Resnik Elementary, Strawberry Knoll Elementary, Watkins Mill High, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2000 the typical home in 20879 was worth $155,838.

Values peaked at $447,365 in June 2025. The latest reading is −2.1% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $437,840, −1.7% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $437,840. Put 20% down and borrow $350,272 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $2,425 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $105,109 a year, $8,759 a month. So the payment takes 27.7% of income — rated “affordable” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 9.9% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $933.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $1,171.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $2,253 — +92% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +21%.

Reported values rose +181% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $307,562. So the real change is +42%, not +181%.

20879: +181% since January 2000.

Montgomery County: +182% since January 2000.

Maryland: +180% since January 2000.

Owning the typical home costs about $2,863 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,837 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 19.9. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 21 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 60% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 45.

Going out — closed sales: about 19 a month. That is 55% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 31% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 69% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 2.4 months of supply — below the 4–6 month range Lotvox treats as balanced. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 3 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 19 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 28 — so sales ran at 68% of it, and below it in 24 of the last 24 months.

Across Montgomery County, builders pulled permits for 1,411 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 57% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Montgomery County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 12,327 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 15,047 moved out.

Net across those counties: −2,720 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 45 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Prince George's, MD (3,735 households); most departures went to Prince George's, MD (3,823).