Since the 1970s, the county has had in place a Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU)
zoning plan that requires developers to include
affordable housing in any new residential developments that they construct in the county. The goal is to create socioeconomically mixed neighborhoods and schools so the rich and poor are not isolated in separate parts of the county. Developers who provide for more than the minimum amount of MPDUs are rewarded with permission to increase the density of their developments, which allows them to build more housing and generate more
revenue. Montgomery County was one of the first counties in the U.S. to adopt such a plan, and many other areas have since followed suit. Montgomery County is by far one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse counties in the United States; four of the ten most culturally diverse cities and towns in the U.S. are in Montgomery County:
Gaithersburg, ranking second;
Germantown, ranking third;
Silver Spring, ranking fourth; and
Rockville, ranking ninth. Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Silver Spring all rank as more culturally diverse than
New York City,
San Jose, and
Oakland. Maryland overall is one of nine
majority-minority states.
2020 census As of the
2020 census, the county had a population of 1,062,061. The median age was 39.5 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males age 18 and over. 97.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.7% lived in rural areas. The racial makeup of the county was 43.1% White, 18.6%
Black or African American, 0.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native, 15.4%
Asian, 0.1%
Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander, 11.0% from some other race, and 11.2% from
two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 20.5% of the population. The population density was . There were 375,905 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 57.5% White, 17.2% Black or African American, 13.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 7.0% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 17.0% of the population. People of
Central American descent made up 8.1% of Montgomery County, with
Salvadoran Americans constituting 5.4% of the county's population. Over 52,000 people of Salvadoran descent lived in Montgomery County, with Salvadoran Americans comprising approximately 32% of the county's Hispanic and Latino population. People of
South American descent make up 3.8% of the county, with
Peruvian Americans being the largest South American community, constituting 1.2% of the county's population. Of the 357,086 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age was 38.5 years.
2000 census As of the
2000 United States census, there were 873,058 people living in the county. The
racial makeup of the county was 65.0% white, 15.1% Black or African American, 11.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.5% of the population. There were 324,565 households, of which 35% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 24.4% were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.19. 25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. In 2000, there were 334,632 housing units at an average density of . Montgomery County has the
tenth-highest median household income in the United States, and the second highest in the state after
Howard County as of 2011. The median household income in 2007 was $89,284 and the median family income was $106,093. Males had a median income of $66,415 versus $52,134 for females. The per capita income for the county was $43,073. About 3.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Religion Of Montgomery County's residents, 14% are
Catholic, 5% are
Baptist, 3% are
Methodist, 1% are
Presbyterian, 1% are
Episcopalian, 1% are part of the
Latter Day Saint movement, 1% are
Lutheran, 6% are of another
Christian faith, 3% are
Jewish, 1% follows
Islam, and 1% are of an
eastern faith. Overall, 41% of the county's residents are
affiliated with a religion. Counties were given a diversity index between 0 and 1, with 0 signifying no diversity, and 1 signifying complete diversity. Montgomery County earned a .886, higher than the national average of .615. Montgomery County has the largest Jewish population in the state of Maryland, accounting for 45% of Maryland Jews. According to the
Berman Jewish DataBank, Montgomery County has a Jewish population of 105,400 people, around 10% of the county's population. The
Washington metropolitan area, with 295,500 Jews, has become the third-largest Jewish population in the United States. As of 2020, Montgomery County is home to 776 religious congregations. ==Economy==