Population 112,081 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gaithersburg
Household size in Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.78 | 2.73 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.94 | 2.82 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.95 | 2.86 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.00 | 2.77 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | +0.04 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Gaithersburg is a place of big households: 3.00 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.78 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.5 | 37.0 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.3 | 37.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.2 | 38.5 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 39.2 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Gaithersburg are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.5, 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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 11.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 10.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Gaithersburg (9.9%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The Washington area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Gaithersburg
Renters in Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 34.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.5% | 36.6% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.1% | 36.8% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 36.3% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Gaithersburg rent their homes (38.3%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. About three in ten owners (29.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 8.7% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.6% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 5.9% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Gaithersburg: just 4.8% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. The Washington area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 0.8 points, as it has nationally.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1977 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1979 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1982 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Gaithersburg is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of the Washington area. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,497 | $1,470 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,581 | $1,583 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,849 | $1,907 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,132 | $2,236 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$635 | +$766 | +$620 | +$606 |
Rent in Gaithersburg runs $2,132 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $635 a month from 2006–10, a 42% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 33.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Gaithersburg
Bachelor's degrees in Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.3% | 46.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.5% | 48.2% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.6% | 51.0% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 50.2% | 53.9% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Gaithersburg is highly educated: about half of adults 25 and older (50.2%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the Washington area overall (53.9%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 0.9 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.5% | 89.4% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.4% | 90.2% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 90.8% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.9% | 91.2% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Gaithersburg never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is down 2.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Gaithersburg has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Maryland cities.
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 Gaithersburg
| Period | Gaithersburg | Washington area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 5.9% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 6.9% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.3%, unemployment in Gaithersburg is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Gaithersburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaithersburg | 3.00 | 39.8 | 9.9% | 38.3% | 4.8% | 1986 | $2,132 | 50.2% | 86.9% | 5.3% |
| Washington Grove | 2.61 | 44.9 | 6.3% | 30.7% | 6.1% | 1974 | $2,023 | 44.3% | 82.8% | 3.6% |
| Montgomery Village | 2.77 | 39.6 | 13.8% | 33.1% | 5.5% | 1981 | $2,023 | 43.4% | 87.9% | 6.6% |
| Redland | 2.70 | 41.1 | 4.4% | 28.8% | 2.7% | 1986 | $2,595 | 68.4% | 96.3% | 2.5% |
| Germantown | 2.86 | 38.5 | 11.1% | 35.6% | 3.7% | 1990 | $2,148 | 50.2% | 89.7% | 5.3% |
| Derwood | 2.73 | 45.3 | 6.2% | 17.1% | 2.1% | 1991 | $1,893 | 65.4% | 92.4% | 8.2% |
| North Potomac | 3.01 | 47.4 | 3.4% | 7.7% | 3.8% | 1985 | $2,786 | 77.1% | 96.6% | 4.2% |
| Rockville | 2.59 | 41.0 | 8.8% | 47.2% | 5.5% | 1983 | $2,402 | 65.6% | 92.9% | 4.4% |
| Laytonsville | 2.87 | 51.0 | 5.2% | 4.4% | 2.6% | 1980 | $1,463 | 55.0% | 95.2% | 6.3% |
| Boyds | 3.24 | 41.1 | 7.2% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 2009 | $2,665 | 62.6% | 92.8% | 5.4% |
| Cedar Grove | 3.53 | 43.4 | 6.4% | 19.9% | 2.1% | 2003 | $2,651 | 71.2% | 89.7% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Poinciana, FL · Port Charlotte, FL · Pomona, CA · Plano, TX · Pittsburgh, PA · Pleasanton, CA · Plymouth, MN · Pompano Beach, FL · Noblesville, IN · Olathe, KS
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 Gaithersburg. 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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