20646 Property Tax Rate
La Plata, Maryland · Part of Charles County
Effective Tax Rate
1.09%
19.2% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$4,738
$395/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$4,738
Monthly
$395
Eff. Rate
1.09%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 20646 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$395/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.13 percentage points above the Maryland average
Maryland average: 0.96%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $200, about 4% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Charles County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 20646 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$200 tax MOE, 4% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County context only
Charles County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 20646
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $435,100, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 1.09%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Maryland and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $395 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Charles County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 20646 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 20646
1.09%
Effective rate
Maryland Avg
0.96%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Maryland
Higher than 74% of ZIP codes in Maryland(74th percentile, 423 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 20646
Property owners in ZIP code 20646 (La Plata, Maryland) pay a median of $4,738/year in property taxes on homes valued at $435,100. This translates to an effective tax rate of 1.09%, which is 13% above the Maryland state average of 0.96%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 20646 is approximately $395, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Charles County. This is $764 more than the Maryland average of $3,974/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Maryland, 20646 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 21915 (1.09%) and 20743 (1.09%).
In La Plata, property taxes represent approximately 3.6% of the median household income of $130,008, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
If you're considering purchasing a home in 20646, keep in mind that property taxes are based on the assessed value assigned by the local assessor, which may differ from the purchase price. In some states, properties are reassessed at or near the sale price upon transfer of ownership. For the most current tax information for a specific property, consult Charles County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 20646?
How much are property taxes in La Plata, MD (20646)?
How does ZIP 20646 compare to the Maryland average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 20646?
What county is ZIP code 20646 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$200. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 20646 is part of Charles County, Maryland. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Charles County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 20646
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
20664
Newburg, MD
0.23 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
0.86%
Tax
$3,709
Quality
82
20675
Pomfret, MD
0.16 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
0.93%
Tax
$4,063
Quality
82
20658
Marbury, MD
0.12 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
0.97%
Tax
$2,802
Quality
77
20637
Hughesville, MD
0.10 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
0.99%
Tax
$5,265
Quality
82
20616
Bryans Road, MD
0.10 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
0.99%
Tax
$3,422
Quality
82
20602
Waldorf, MD
0.09 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
1.00%
Tax
$3,593
Quality
89
20603
Waldorf, MD
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
1.02%
Tax
$4,374
Quality
89
20640
Indian Head, MD
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 20646.
Rate
1.02%
Tax
$3,144
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.