ZIP Code 20646 — La Plata town, MD Demographics & Data

ZIP code 20646 covers La Plata, MD in Charles County with a population of about 21,601.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 43.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 227, 240, 301; U.S. House district MD-5; the WASHINGTON, DC (HAGRSTWN) media market.

La Plata, MD sits in a university / college context (near college of southern maryland (2.4 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 20646 is about $130,008 — about 73% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 4.0%; unemployment rate near 3.4%; 33.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (roughly in line with the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Public administration, Education, and Retail trade; about 17.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 2.4 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $435,100 — about 25% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,318 (about 13% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 85.1% (about 19.7 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 20646 in La Plata, MD, a household would need roughly $120,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,795. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($130,008). Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for La Plata town, MD as Relatively Low (composite score 44.1), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (78.0) and flood (50.6). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for La Plata town, MD show little to no average snow and around 48.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,269 for ZIP 20646 (La Plata town, MD) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.