ZIP 20020
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in ZIP 20020 usually run 1.2% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in July, about $41 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 20020 is 0.3% below its high of $1,945 in May 2026, at $1,940 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 20020 changed +2.9% over the year to September 2026. Across the 21 District of Columbia ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.5%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 20020 rose 31.3% while median household income rose 37.1% ($39,400 to $54,032). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 20020 is 34.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($54,032) is $1,351 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,420).
3rd cheapest of 22 ZIP codes in Washington.
ZIP 20032, 2 miles away, rents for 21% less ($1,529/mo), about $4,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 20020. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Who lives here
ZIP 20020 (Washington, DC) is majority renter-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income below the national average, 27.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 20020 in Washington, DC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 20020 in Washington, DC has shifted from $1,479 to $1,940, up 31.2% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $54,032 today, compared with $43,118 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show ZIP 20020 in Washington, DC losing about 1,807 residents over the five-year window, down 3.3% on net. The renter share has risen from 66.7% to 69.8%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 25.8% to 27.8% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 20020
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 20020 covers Washington, DC. The median rent here is $1,940/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,460/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,630/mo.
At 43% of local median household income ($54,032/yr), ZIP 20020 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 20020 compare to other ZIPs in District of Columbia?
How does ZIP 20020 compare to the rest of Washington?
At $1,940/mo, rent takes ~43% of ZIP 20020's median household income ($54,032/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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