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COUNTY

Howard County

Maryland · 339,183 residents (2025 est.) · 251 sq mi
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Part of the Baltimore metro area
The short version

With 336,328 people, Howard County is a county in Maryland. 64% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Households take in $149,763 a year at the median, 82% more than the country as a whole. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. That is roughly 44% ahead of the Maryland median. 88,486 more people live here than in 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $149,763, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
64% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 65%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Howard County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share82.0% → 45.9% (−36.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Asian share4.2% → 19.2% (+15.0 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
  • Population187,328 → 336,328 (+80%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 24 counties in Maryland

  • 1st in household income$149,763
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree64.5%
  • 2nd in home value$597,900
  • 2nd in diversity score87.7
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
336,328
+36%since 2000
from 247,842 in 2000
339,183 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,340 / sq mi
+36%since 2000
from 988 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.8
+12%since 2000
from 35.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
251 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
172K217K262K307K351K19902000201020202024Howard County
2024336K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(17,958)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(21,426)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.6%(25,506)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(22,747)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(18,783)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(39,661)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.7%(49,371)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.7%(46,208)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.9%(43,393)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.9%(30,017)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.7%(15,712)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(5,546)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$149,763
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $74,167 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$67,501
+108%since 2000
from $32,402 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
77.7%
+13.8 ptssince 2009
from 63.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 3.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.414
+6%since 2010
from 0.390 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information6.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade5.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade4.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$597,900
+65%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $198,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,099
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $879 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
71.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2000
from 73.8% in 2000
28.5% rent
Vacancy rate
3.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.76 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.73 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.3%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.3%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 42.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
−11%since 2009
from 4.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
29
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic72.6%(180,010)
Black14.3%(35,353)
Hispanic / Latino3%(7,490)
Asian7.7%(18,977)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic45.9%(154,383)
Black19.7%(66,160)
Hispanic / Latino8.7%(29,135)
Asian19.2%(64,689)
Other6.5%(21,961)
Diversity Score
88
+30%since 2009
from 68 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
21
−6%since 2020
from 22 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American3.1%(10,301)
Mexican1.7%(5,633)
Salvadoran1.6%(5,426)
South American1.3%(4,531)
Puerto Rican1.1%(3,857)
Honduran0.8%(2,832)
Colombian0.4%(1,489)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,186)
Cuban0.3%(1,055)
Peruvian0.3%(1,016)
Dominican0.3%(844)
Spaniard0.2%(712)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.2%(707)
Panamanian0.1%(442)
Argentine0.1%(369)
Costa Rican0.1%(336)
Ecuadorian0.1%(282)
Chilean0.1%(228)
Bolivian0.1%(170)
Uruguayan0%(140)
Asian origin
Asian Indian6.6%(22,305)
Korean4%(13,389)
Chinese3.9%(13,264)
Pakistani1%(3,351)
Vietnamese0.8%(2,593)
Filipino0.7%(2,511)
Burmese0.3%(1,092)
Nepalese0.3%(1,015)
Bangladeshi0.3%(885)
Japanese0.2%(617)
Taiwanese0.1%(380)
Thai0.1%(375)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0.1%(362)
Malaysian0.1%(210)
Mongolian0%(61)
Cambodian0%(45)
Hmong0%(37)
Laotian0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(64)
Chamorro0%(15)
Tongan0%(5)
Ancestry
German11.9%(39,942)
Irish10.2%(34,174)
English9.4%(31,609)
Italian5.3%(17,712)
Subsaharan African4.8%(16,228)
Polish3.2%(10,824)
American2.9%(9,806)
Scottish1.7%(5,607)
Nigerian1.6%(5,394)
Russian1.3%(4,504)
West Indian1.3%(4,367)
Arab1.3%(4,206)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
French1.1%(3,828)
Ethiopian0.8%(2,567)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(2,467)
Greek0.7%(2,453)
Norwegian0.7%(2,239)
Jamaican0.7%(2,239)
Swedish0.6%(2,173)
Iranian0.5%(1,831)
Czech0.5%(1,794)
Welsh0.5%(1,628)
Dutch0.4%(1,470)
British0.4%(1,441)
Ukrainian0.4%(1,308)
Lithuanian0.4%(1,237)
Ghanaian0.4%(1,200)
Hungarian0.3%(1,011)
Portuguese0.3%(914)
Slovak0.3%(875)
Guyanese0.3%(844)
Haitian0.2%(829)
Lebanese0.2%(785)
Turkish0.2%(771)
Danish0.2%(742)
Brazilian0.2%(660)
Austrian0.2%(647)
Egyptian0.2%(592)
Israeli0.2%(544)
Swiss0.1%(498)
Palestinian0.1%(434)
Romanian0.1%(433)
Finnish0.1%(413)
Latvian0.1%(353)
Armenian0.1%(325)
Kenyan0.1%(323)
Canadian0.1%(295)
Syrian0.1%(274)
Jordanian0.1%(257)
Belgian0.1%(232)
Cape Verdean0.1%(224)
Moroccan0.1%(195)
Australian0%(162)
Croatian0%(150)
Barbadian0%(147)
Iraqi0%(119)
Serbian0%(86)
Somali0%(86)
Slovene0%(52)
Bulgarian0%(32)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
64.5%
+11.5 ptssince 2000
from 52.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 93.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
34.1%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 23.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.5 min
+29%since 2000
from 22.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
64.9%
−15.5 ptssince 2009
from 80.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.4%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
26.0%
+20.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 4.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.4%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 73.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 80.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
66.6%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 57.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
50.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
22.8%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2012
from 6.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 7.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.6%
+3.8 ptssince 2017
from 92.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 97.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
71.7%
−4.2 ptssince 2016
from 75.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2016
from 5.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.1%(43,893)
Married59.5%(78,765)
Widowed1.8%(2,375)
Divorced5.6%(7,445)
Women 15+
Never married28.2%(39,187)
Married54.8%(76,102)
Widowed6.8%(9,482)
Divorced10.2%(14,189)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 7.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
72.7%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 74.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.2%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 11.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
83.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 84.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
25.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)38.4%(5,814)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34.2%(5,188)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era25.5%(3,860)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.4%(510)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(77)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 15,149 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Howard County, decade by decade

Howard County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990187,328$130,439$396,97146.9%39.1
2000247,842$135,107$361,78152.9%55.6
2010287,085$148,566$656,27658.3%74.4
2020332,317$150,344$562,99262.7%87.0
2024336,328$149,763$597,90064.5%87.7

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Howard County

Douglas County
Pop 399,396
Somerset County
Pop 356,486
Forsyth County
Pop 282,805
Marin County
Pop 253,694
Places similar to Howard County
Head to head

Compare Howard County to nearby counties

HOWARD COUNTY VS
Montgomery County
Income$132,450−12%
Home value$640,300+7%
Population1,074,582+217%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HOWARD COUNTY VS
Baltimore
Income$62,177−58%
Home value$229,600−62%
Population569,997+68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HOWARD COUNTY VS
Baltimore County
Income$91,768−39%
Home value$349,300−42%
Population847,650+150%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HOWARD COUNTY VS
Carroll County
Income$118,211−21%
Home value$434,000−27%
Population176,677−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Howard County, Maryland?

Howard County, Maryland has about 336,328 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Howard County, Maryland?

The typical household in Howard County, Maryland earns about $149,763 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Howard County, Maryland expensive?

In Howard County, Maryland, the median home is worth about $597,900, and the typical rent is about $2,099 a month.

How educated are people in Howard County, Maryland?

About 64.5% of adults age 25 and over in Howard County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Howard County, Maryland?

About 5.2% of people in Howard County, Maryland live below the federal poverty line.

Has Howard County, Maryland grown since 1990?

Yes, Howard County, Maryland has grown since 1990. The population has added about 149,000 residents, a change of about 80 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Howard County, Maryland: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy