Howard County, Maryland Demographics 2026

Name: Howard County, Maryland Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Howard County, Maryland has a population of 336,328, the 6th most populous county in Maryland. The median household income is $149,763 and the median home value is $597,900. The poverty rate is 5.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Howard County Quick Facts

Population 336,328

Median Household Income $149,763

Median Home Value $597,900

Poverty Rate 5.2%

Unemployment Rate 3.5%

Median Age 39.8 years

Homeownership Rate 71.5%

Affordability Ratio 4.0x

Bachelor's Degree+ 64.5%

High School Graduation 95.0%

Cities/Places 10

Population 336,328 6th of 24

Median Income $149,763 44% higher than state

Poverty Rate 5.2%

Unemployment 3.5%

How Howard County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	333,916	336,328	+0.7%
Median household income	$146,982	$149,763	+1.9%
Median home value	$576,700	$597,900	+3.7%

Median Household Income

Howard

$149,763

$103,678

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Howard

$597,900

$419,900

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 6.1%

$25K-$50K 7.6%

$50K-$100K 18.0%

$100K+ 68.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

2.2%

$10K-$15K

1.4%

$15K-$20K

1.3%

$20K-$25K

1.1%

$25K-$30K

1.3%

$30K-$35K

1.4%

$35K-$40K

1.4%

$40K-$45K

1.6%

$45K-$50K

1.9%

$50K-$60K

3.6%

$60K-$75K

5.0%

$75K-$100K

9.4%

$100K-$125K

9.8%

$125K-$150K

8.6%

$150K-$200K

15.2%

$200K+

34.8%

Employment

3.5% Unemployment Rate State: 4.9%|National: 5.2%

69.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 71.5%

Renter 28.5%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.0x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $2,099/mo 16.8% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

23.8%

18-34

19.7%

35-54

28.4%

55-74

21.8%

75+

6.3%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very High Diversity

This community is exceptionally diverse, with no single racial or ethnic group dominating the population.

State average: 68 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Howard County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Columbia	104,338	$131,490	7.5%	$497,400
Ellicott City	75,257	$156,964	3.8%	$661,700
Ilchester	28,364	$152,103	5.1%	$532,400
Elkridge	26,283	$139,913	7.6%	$454,200
North Laurel	25,563	$122,949	4.7%	$450,100
Scaggsville	10,564	$207,220	2.9%	$668,500
Savage	8,239	$116,895	5.5%	$424,300
Fulton	5,677	$222,039	0.7%	$913,100
Highland	972	$250,000+	3.4%	$914,000
Lisbon	126	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore Maryland Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Howard County is located in Maryland with a total population of 336,328. It is the 6th most populous county out of 24 in Maryland. The county encompasses 10 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Howard County is 39.8 years. This is 1% higher than the state median of 39.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Howard County is $149,763. This is 44% higher than the state median of $103,678. It is also 86% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 5.2%. This is 45% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.4%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $597,900. Housing costs are 42% higher than the state median of $419,900. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.0x. 71.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 67.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Howard County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 45.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 19.7%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (19.2% vs 6.5%).

Education

64.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Howard County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 48% higher than the state rate of 43.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.0%. Notably, 34.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Howard County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Maryland and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Howard County, Maryland?

Howard County has a population of 336,328, making it the 6th most populous county in Maryland.

What is the median income in Howard County?

The median household income in Howard County is $149,763 with a poverty rate of 5.2%.

How many cities are in Howard County, Maryland?

Howard County contains 10 Census-designated places.