The five-digit label 20019 is both a Zillow ZIP market identifier and a Census ZCTA match. Its immediate decision question is how a current broad asking-rent signal should be separated from household-budget, bedroom, and survey benchmarks before a specific available home is evaluated. Zillow's June 2026 ZORI is $1,976 per month, up 6.3% from a year earlier. ZORI is a ZIP-level typical observed asking-rent index blended across rental types, so it signals the market identifier's rent level rather than a quote for a building or unit. A ZCTA is a statistical area and is not identical to a USPS delivery ZIP. The matched area, source definitions, and current index therefore set the frame; they do not identify the terms of any prospective lease.
An income and renter-household view makes the breadth of that screen clear. The ACS 2024 five-year survey reports median household income of $58,296; it is a population statistic, not an applicant-income test. Annual income required for the $1,976 monthly ZORI to equal 30% of income is $79,040. This required-income screen is arithmetic, not advice or an applicant qualification rule. On that same annualized arithmetic, the index is 40.7% of the stated median household income. Renters occupy 15,277 of 26,254 occupied homes, a 58.2% renter share. In ACS burden data, 8,567 renter households, or 56.1%, report rent burden at or above the threshold. That observed population-level burden cannot establish a burden for a particular unit or household.
The bedroom lens is deliberately modelled, not a measurement program. The local HUD ladder scales the ZIP ZORI into modelled monthly estimates of $1,718 for a studio, $1,767 for one bedroom, $1,976 for two bedrooms, $2,491 for three bedrooms, and $2,933 for four bedrooms. These are modelled estimates, never measured bedroom rents. The FY2026 HUD two-bedroom FMR used in that ladder is $1,610. HUD FMR/SAFMR is an administrative bedroom-specific standard, not asking rent, and its purpose differs from Zillow's observed asking-rent index. The two-bedroom model result exceeds the HUD standard by $366, or 22.7%. That gap is a comparison of framework levels, not an estimate of contract rent, included utilities, concessions, or the physical attributes of an individual rental.
Housing stock and vacancy should be read as composition rather than as a listing inventory. The matched ZCTA contains 29,145 housing units, including 26,254 occupied units and 2,891 vacant units, for a 9.9% vacancy rate. Reported vacant categories include 475 units for rent, 170 for sale, and 8 seasonal; together they do not account for every vacancy status in the packet. The structure counts show 13,845 single-family units and 4,178 large multifamily units. Those counts describe the area's stock, not the bedroom mix, condition, price, or availability of a particular home. Likewise, a unit classified vacant for rent is not necessarily available on the desired timing or terms, and vacancy data cannot prove availability at any specific property.
The rent measures are informative precisely because their universes are not merged. Zillow's current ZORI is the blended typical observed asking-rent index already noted, whereas the ACS matched-ZCTA median gross rent is $1,222. ACS is a five-year survey of occupied renter homes and its gross-rent measure includes selected utilities. The ACS figure is $754 below the ZORI, a 61.7% difference when measured against ACS rent, but the spread is not a rent change, discount, or quality adjustment. It reflects different dates, sampled occupied homes versus observed asking-rent inputs, and utility treatment. HUD's FMR/SAFMR remains the separate administrative bedroom standard shown in the ladder; it is not a third asking-rent observation to average with Zillow or ACS.
Wider geographies provide comparison only, not a substitute for the ZIP or ZCTA evidence. In Washington city scope, Zillow rent is about $2,532 and ACS median gross rent is $1,954; in District of Columbia county scope, Zillow rent is $2,532; and in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro scope, Zillow rent is $2,448 and the two-bedroom FMR is $2,246. Each is a city, county, or metro context value rather than a matched-ZCTA value. At the displayed precision, the city and county rent indices are similar, while the metro index is also above the ZIP index. These are broad contextual contrasts, not proof that a given ZIP property has citywide, countywide, or metrowide rent or standard.
Important limits remain at the property level. The ZORI does not furnish a live listing price or a bedroom-specific observation; ACS estimates carry survey uncertainty and describe occupied households; the HUD standard is administrative; and the vacant-unit counts do not reveal whether a unit is currently marketed or suitable. Before treating any listing as comparable, verify the advertised rent and date, exact bedroom designation, lease term, utilities included, concessions, mandatory fees or deposits, current availability, and any published income or eligibility policy. Confirm whether the property is actually within the delivery address sought, because the ZCTA match is statistical rather than a USPS boundary. These checks distinguish a concrete offer from an index, survey estimate, benchmark, or area-level vacancy and burden statistic.
","findings":[{"body":"Zillow's June 2026 ZIP-level ZORI is $1,976, an approximately 6.3% annual increase. The $79,040 annual income figure is only the arithmetic amount that puts this monthly index at 30% of income. Compared with the ACS matched-ZCTA median household income of $58,296, it flags a population-level affordability tension but cannot be used to evaluate a specific applicant.","title":"Current index versus broad income screen"},{"body":"The $1,718 studio through $2,933 four-bedroom figures are modelled monthly estimates created by scaling the ZIP ZORI with the local HUD ladder. They do not measure observed rents for those bedrooms. The relevant two-bedroom HUD FMR is $1,610, while the modelled two-bedroom level is $1,976. FMR is an administrative standard, so the $366 difference is not a predicted contract-rent premium.","title":"Bedroom values are modelled from the HUD ladder"},{"body":"The matched-ZCTA ACS data show 15,277 renter-occupied homes and a 56.1% observed rent-burden share at the threshold. Separately, the stock has 2,891 vacant units, of which 475 are reported for rent. These are area-level tabulations. They establish neither an individual household's burden nor a specific property's live availability, price, or lease terms.","title":"Renter burden and vacancy remain area-level evidence"},{"body":"Washington city, District of Columbia county, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro values serve only broad comparisons. The city ZORI is about $2,532, county ZORI is $2,532, and metro ZORI is $2,448, versus ZIP ZORI of $1,976. Different scopes and sources make these contrasts contextual; none can replace an advertised property price or the ZIP-level source definition.","title":"Wider rent levels are context, not substitutes"}],"risks":["ZORI, ACS gross rent, and HUD FMR answer different questions. Treating their differences as a single price series could falsely imply rent growth, a discount, or a unit-level market value.","The ACS matched ZCTA is a statistical approximation to the ZIP label and is not a USPS delivery ZIP. Its five-year estimates, including income and gross rent, are not current unit listings.","The 9.9% vacancy rate combines multiple vacant statuses, and only 475 units are reported for rent. Neither count identifies a currently offered unit, acceptable lease timing, or a unit's price.","The modelled bedroom estimates preserve the local HUD ladder's relative steps, but they inherit the limitations of both ZORI and FMR. They exclude direct observation of unit quality, utilities, fees, concessions, and lease details."],"qa":[{"a":"It represents Zillow's ZIP-level typical observed asking-rent index, blended across rental types in June 2026. It is useful as a broad current signal, but it is not a live quote, does not identify bedroom size, and does not establish final rent, utilities, lease terms, or availability for a property.","q":"What does the $1,976 ZORI actually represent?"},{"a":"ACS median gross rent is $1,222, while ZORI is $1,976, but they cover different evidence universes. ACS is a five-year survey of occupied renter homes and includes selected utilities; Zillow is a current blended asking-rent index. The numerical gap therefore does not, by itself, measure growth, a discount, or a difference in unit quality.","q":"Why is ACS median gross rent lower than the Zillow ZORI?"},{"a":"Each bedroom value starts with the ZIP ZORI and applies the relative levels from the local HUD FMR ladder. The studio, one-bedroom, and larger-bedroom figures are therefore modelled estimates. They are not measured asking rents, and the HUD FMR itself remains an administrative standard rather than a lease quote.","q":"How were the bedroom estimates produced?"},{"a":"Rent burden describes an ACS tabulation across renter households, and vacancy classifies a portion of housing stock by status. Neither record identifies the rent, occupant, timing, condition, or availability of one listing. A property-level review needs the advertised amount, bedroom label, utilities, fees, term, and current status.","q":"Can vacancy and rent burden establish the terms of a listing?"}],"sources":[{"key":"apartment_list_time_on_market","name":"Apartment List Time on Market — listing liquidity","release":"Apartment List 2026-07","pulledAt":"2026-08-08","url":"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/category/data-rent-estimates"},{"key":"apartment_list_vacancy","name":"Apartment List Vacancy Index — rental vacancy","release":"Apartment List 2026-07","pulledAt":"2026-08-08","url":"https://www.apartmentlist.com/research/apartment-list-vacancy-index-methodology"},{"key":"census_zcta_facts","name":"Census ACS five-year — ZCTA housing and income","release":"ACS 2024 5-year ZCTA","pulledAt":"2026-08-08","url":"https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5.html"},{"key":"hud_zip","name":"HUD USPS crosswalk and Small Area FMRs — ZIP rent fallback","release":"ZIP-CBSA 2025Q4 + SAFMR FY2026","pulledAt":"2026-07-26","url":"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/usps_crosswalk.html"},{"key":"realtor_county","name":"Realtor.com Economic Research — county listing inventory","release":"county inventory 2026-06","pulledAt":"2026-07-28","url":"https://www.realtor.com/research/data/"},{"key":"redfin","name":"Redfin Data Center — inventory, days on market, and price cuts","release":"metro tracker through 2026-05-01","pulledAt":"2026-07-26","url":"https://www.redfin.com/news/data-center/"},{"key":"redfin_zip","name":"Redfin Data Center — ZIP resale activity and supply","release":"ZIP rolling 3 months through 2026-06-30; updated 2026-07-03","pulledAt":"2026-08-12","url":"https://www.redfin.com/news/data-center/"},{"key":"zillow_county","name":"Zillow ZHVI and ZORI — county values and rents","release":"county ZHVI/ZORI 2026-06","pulledAt":"2026-07-26","url":"https://www.zillow.com/research/data/"},{"key":"zillow_zori","name":"Zillow ZORI — metro market rents","release":"Metro_zori_uc_sfrcondomfr_sm_sa_month.csv","pulledAt":"2026-07-26","url":"https://www.zillow.com/research/data/"},{"key":"zillow_zori_city","name":"Zillow ZORI — city market rents","release":"zillow_zori_city.csv","pulledAt":"2026-07-29","url":"https://www.zillow.com/research/data/"},{"key":"zillow_zori_zip","name":"Zillow ZORI — ZIP market rents","release":"ZORI ZIP 2026-06","pulledAt":"2026-08-08","url":"https://www.zillow.com/research/data/"}],"history":[{"period":"2018-05-01","rent":1236.476661},{"period":"2018-06-01","rent":1252.699303},{"period":"2018-07-01","rent":1269.668504},{"period":"2018-08-01","rent":1273.316645},{"period":"2018-09-01","rent":1263.321651},{"period":"2018-10-01","rent":1238.95131},{"period":"2018-11-01","rent":1236.963268},{"period":"2018-12-01","rent":1243.504041},{"period":"2019-01-01","rent":1267.827992},{"period":"2019-02-01","rent":1276.581991},{"period":"2019-03-01","rent":1290.955433},{"period":"2019-04-01","rent":1293.573168},{"period":"2019-05-01","rent":1306.264163},{"period":"2019-06-01","rent":1300.02996},{"period":"2019-07-01","rent":1295.182321},{"period":"2019-08-01","rent":1302.705816},{"period":"2019-09-01","rent":1324.475639},{"period":"2019-10-01","rent":1352.349662},{"period":"2019-11-01","rent":1368.996479},{"period":"2019-12-01","rent":1396.070062},{"period":"2020-01-01","rent":1421.182024},{"period":"2020-02-01","rent":1432.213175},{"period":"2020-03-01","rent":1375.800888},{"period":"2020-04-01","rent":1372.523347},{"period":"2020-05-01","rent":1361.579706},{"period":"2020-06-01","rent":1375.800268},{"period":"2020-07-01","rent":1392.076767},{"period":"2020-08-01","rent":1408.676926},{"period":"2020-09-01","rent":1413.669911},{"period":"2020-10-01","rent":1417.017949},{"period":"2020-11-01","rent":1432.759931},{"period":"2020-12-01","rent":1422.905297},{"period":"2021-01-01","rent":1414.252716},{"period":"2021-02-01","rent":1412.056888},{"period":"2021-03-01","rent":1421.437768},{"period":"2021-04-01","rent":1421.355755},{"period":"2021-05-01","rent":1450.633934},{"period":"2021-06-01","rent":1456.10316},{"period":"2021-07-01","rent":1457.223626},{"period":"2021-08-01","rent":1463.435486},{"period":"2021-09-01","rent":1468.415481},{"period":"2021-10-01","rent":1500.694124},{"period":"2021-11-01","rent":1485.78076},{"period":"2021-12-01","rent":1498.746392},{"period":"2022-01-01","rent":1521.528438},{"period":"2022-02-01","rent":1527.382669},{"period":"2022-03-01","rent":1536.199806},{"period":"2022-04-01","rent":1528.666325},{"period":"2022-05-01","rent":1540.609942},{"period":"2022-06-01","rent":1557.711163},{"period":"2022-07-01","rent":1577.32691},{"period":"2022-08-01","rent":1590.492912},{"period":"2022-09-01","rent":1561.102116},{"period":"2022-10-01","rent":1540.3857},{"period":"2022-11-01","rent":1542.386147},{"period":"2022-12-01","rent":1589.528112},{"period":"2023-01-01","rent":1591.395502},{"period":"2023-02-01","rent":1604.683678},{"period":"2023-03-01","rent":1601.004057},{"period":"2023-04-01","rent":1606.684652},{"period":"2023-05-01","rent":1575.285131},{"period":"2023-06-01","rent":1571.653863},{"period":"2023-07-01","rent":1588.476534},{"period":"2023-08-01","rent":1614.474117},{"period":"2023-09-01","rent":1659.782354},{"period":"2023-10-01","rent":1682.110428},{"period":"2023-11-01","rent":1697.078081},{"period":"2023-12-01","rent":1672.290155},{"period":"2024-01-01","rent":1663.570576},{"period":"2024-02-01","rent":1684.285367},{"period":"2024-03-01","rent":1697.558292},{"period":"2024-04-01","rent":1734.546111},{"period":"2024-05-01","rent":1770.992718},{"period":"2024-06-01","rent":1782.919029},{"period":"2024-07-01","rent":1783.694377},{"period":"2024-08-01","rent":1768.386188},{"period":"2024-09-01","rent":1755.532482},{"period":"2024-10-01","rent":1763.360234},{"period":"2024-11-01","rent":1786.218141},{"period":"2024-12-01","rent":1804.502553},{"period":"2025-01-01","rent":1823.621193},{"period":"2025-02-01","rent":1834.269517},{"period":"2025-03-01","rent":1845.662024},{"period":"2025-04-01","rent":1880.098903},{"period":"2025-05-01","rent":1877.538496},{"period":"2025-06-01","rent":1859.519193},{"period":"2025-07-01","rent":1870.39974},{"period":"2025-08-01","rent":1890.116668},{"period":"2025-09-01","rent":1907.22878},{"period":"2025-10-01","rent":1917.86488},{"period":"2025-11-01","rent":1916.401207},{"period":"2025-12-01","rent":1927.961834},{"period":"2026-01-01","rent":1940.711937},{"period":"2026-02-01","rent":1942.439665},{"period":"2026-03-01","rent":1951.610243},{"period":"2026-04-01","rent":1928.39479},{"period":"2026-05-01","rent":1942.972564},{"period":"2026-06-01","rent":1975.765608}],"historySummary":{"pointCount":98,"firstPeriod":"2018-05-01","latestPeriod":"2026-06-01","coverageMonths":98,"coverageRatio":1,"changes":{"1":{"years":1,"startPeriod":"2025-06-01","endPeriod":"2026-06-01","startRent":1859.519193,"endRent":1975.765608,"change":0.06251423240889342,"cagr":0.06251423240889342},"3":{"years":3,"startPeriod":"2023-06-01","endPeriod":"2026-06-01","startRent":1571.653863,"endRent":1975.765608,"change":0.257125156189687,"cagr":0.07926022618168727},"5":{"years":5,"startPeriod":"2021-06-01","endPeriod":"2026-06-01","startRent":1456.10316,"endRent":1975.765608,"change":0.3568857360353508,"cagr":0.06293976726748807}},"maxDrawdown":-0.049317706492959856,"annualizedVolatility":0.03819418968276265,"consecutiveReturnCount":97}}