20687 Property Tax Rate
Scotland, Maryland · Part of St. Mary's County
Effective Tax Rate
0.75%
46.4% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$5,817
$485/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$5,817
Monthly
$485
Eff. Rate
0.75%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 20687 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
$485/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.21 percentage points below the Maryland average
Maryland average: 0.96%
Data confidence
Moderate confidenceThe Census margin of error is $1,342, about 23% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with St. Mary's 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 20687 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
Moderate ACS confidence
$1,342 tax MOE, 23% 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
St. Mary's County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 20687
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 $771,600, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.75%, 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 $485 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
St. Mary's County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 20687 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 20687
0.75%
Effective rate
Maryland Avg
0.96%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Maryland
Lower than 91% of ZIP codes in Maryland(9th percentile, 423 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 20687
Property owners in ZIP code 20687 (Scotland, Maryland) pay a median of $5,817/year in property taxes on homes valued at $771,600. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.75%, which is 22% below the Maryland state average of 0.96%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 20687 is approximately $485, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within St. Mary's County. This is $1,843 more than the Maryland average of $3,974/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Maryland, 20687 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 21733 (0.76%) and 21780 (0.75%).
If you're considering purchasing a home in 20687, 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 St. Mary's County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 20687?
How much are property taxes in Scotland, MD (20687)?
How does ZIP 20687 compare to the Maryland average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 20687?
What county is ZIP code 20687 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$1,342. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 20687 is part of St. Mary's County, Maryland. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View St. Mary's County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 20687
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
20628
Dameron, MD
0.05 percentage points lower than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.71%
Tax
$2,918
Quality
79
21056
Gibson Island, MD
0.25 percentage points lower than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
68
20818
Cabin John, MD
$501,700 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.79%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
70
20815
Chevy Chase, MD
$459,100 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.81%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
70
20816
Bethesda, MD
$394,500 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.86%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
20817
Bethesda, MD
$370,700 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.88%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
20812
Glen Echo, MD
$356,900 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.89%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
70
20854
Potomac, MD
$333,700 higher median home value than ZIP 20687.
Rate
0.90%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
70
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.