Population 13,983 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Damascus
Household size in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.04 | 2.73 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.16 | 2.82 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.00 | 2.86 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.98 | 2.77 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.04 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Damascus are large by national standards, averaging 2.98 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 3.04, mirroring the country.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 37.0 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 37.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 38.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 39.2 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.5 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Damascus skews older than the country: its median age is 43.4, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.9, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 11.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Damascus: 8.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 5.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Damascus
Renters in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 34.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 36.6% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 36.8% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 36.3% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Damascus is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 10.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than a quarter of owners (27.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 1.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 8.7% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.6% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 5.9% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Damascus: just 4.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Compared with other Maryland cities, Damascus has a lower vacancy rate than most.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1977 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1978 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1979 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1982 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Damascus are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,361 | $1,470 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,591 | $1,583 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,634 | $1,907 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,833 | $2,236 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$471 | +$766 | +$620 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Damascus costs $1,833 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the Washington area overall ($2,236). Rent has climbed $471 a month since 2006–10, up 35%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 37.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Damascus
Bachelor's degrees in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.7% | 46.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.5% | 48.2% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.0% | 51.0% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.1% | 53.9% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Damascus (44.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the Washington area overall (53.9%). College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.6% | 89.4% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.6% | 90.2% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 90.8% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.8% | 91.2% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Damascus have finished high school as nationally: 89.8%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Damascus
| Period | Damascus | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 5.9% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 6.9% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Damascus has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.1 points, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Damascus compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damascus | 2.98 | 43.4 | 8.1% | 10.3% | 4.0% | 1982 | $1,833 | 44.1% | 89.8% | 2.9% |
| Clarksburg | 3.25 | 37.9 | 11.9% | 10.3% | 1.4% | 2007 | $2,609 | 67.9% | 94.9% | 3.5% |
| Laytonsville | 2.87 | 51.0 | 5.2% | 4.4% | 2.6% | 1980 | $1,463 | 55.0% | 95.2% | 6.3% |
| Monrovia | 3.23 | 41.5 | 8.8% | 2.3% | 0.9% | 1993 | $1,833 | 52.7% | 97.8% | 2.4% |
| Ijamsville | 3.25 | 41.1 | 5.3% | 3.5% | 1.8% | 1997 | $1,914 | 60.5% | 98.3% | 1.3% |
| Montgomery Village | 2.77 | 39.6 | 13.8% | 33.1% | 5.5% | 1981 | $2,023 | 43.4% | 87.9% | 6.6% |
| Boyds | 3.24 | 41.1 | 7.2% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 2009 | $2,665 | 62.6% | 92.8% | 5.4% |
| Germantown | 2.86 | 38.5 | 11.1% | 35.6% | 3.7% | 1990 | $2,148 | 50.2% | 89.7% | 5.3% |
| Mount Airy | 2.97 | 42.2 | 8.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 1988 | $2,213 | 48.5% | 95.6% | 4.5% |
| Urbana | 3.19 | 39.0 | 11.5% | 22.5% | 3.2% | 2009 | $2,721 | 63.7% | 96.1% | 4.2% |
| Gaithersburg | 3.00 | 39.8 | 9.9% | 38.3% | 4.8% | 1986 | $2,132 | 50.2% | 86.9% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mulberry, FL · Ocean Pines, MD · Oatfield, OR · Oakland, NJ · Northlake, IL · North Valley Stream, NY · North Branch, MN · North Bend, OR · North Auburn, CA · Newport, MI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Damascus. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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