County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Howard County
- What is the median household income in Howard County?
- The median household income in Howard County is $146,982 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Howard County?
- The poverty rate in Howard County is 3.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Howard County?
- $576,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Howard County?
- The median gross rent in Howard County is $2,038 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Howard County residents have a college degree?
- 64.5% of adults in Howard County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
333,916
Median Income
$146,982
Median Home Value
$576,700
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.6%
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$25,822 (+21.3%)
Home Value:
+$121,000 (+26.6%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.3 pp (-8.3%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.9 pp (+3%)
Unemployment:
-0.2 pp (-5.3%)
Demographics
Total Population
333,916
Median Age
39.0
Female
50.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
White (non-Hisp.) 47.0%
Black 20.0%
Asian 18.8%
Two or More 8.5%
Other 3.5%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
6.7%
Chinese
4.1%
Korean
3.8%
Vietnamese
0.7%
Filipino
0.6%
Japanese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
1.6%
Puerto Rican
1.1%
Cuban
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$146,982
±$3,334
+$45,330 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$177,530
Median Family Income
$174,263
Poverty Rate
3.3%
-3.0 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
4.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
5.3%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
25.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
2.4%
$10–15k
1.1%
$15–25k
2.5%
$25–35k
2.8%
$35–50k
5.0%
$50–75k
8.7%
$75–100k
9.9%
$100–150k
18.5%
$150–200k
15.2%
$200k+
33.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
124,489
Owner-Occupied
71.7%
Renter-Occupied
28.3%
Vacancy Rate
3.6%
Median Home Value
$576,700
+$179,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$2,038
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
15.0%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
38.9%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.6%
$50–100k
0.8%
$100–200k
0.4%
$200–300k
6.3%
$300–500k
28.7%
$500k–$1M
52.6%
$1M+
8.3%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
3.1%
$500–1k
4.3%
$1–1.5k
8.9%
$1.5–2k
31.4%
$2–2.5k
30.3%
$2.5–3.5k
12.6%
$3.5k+
9.4%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
3.9%
1 vehicle
28.7%
2 vehicles
43.7%
3+
23.6%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
50.5%
Single-fam. att.
22.3%
2–4 units
0.5%
5–19 units
5.7%
20+ units
9.2%
Mobile home
0.8%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
1.8%
1940–1969
0.8%
1970–1999
17.6%
2000–2009
13.5%
2010+
13.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
95.3%
Bachelor's or Higher
64.5%
+21.8 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
33.8%
Some College / Associate
12.5%
Less Than High School
2.6%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
69.8%
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
-1.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
23.2%
Self-Employed
4.6%
Government Workers
23.5%
Private For-Profit
71.8%
Industry
Edu/Health
25.8%
Prof. Services
21.2%
Public Admin
11.4%
Retail
7.1%
Arts/Entmt.
7.1%
Finance
6.4%
Manufacturing
5.3%
Construction
4.1%
Transportation
3.5%
Information
2.0%
Wholesale
1.3%
Agriculture
0.3%
Occupation
Management
66.5%
Sales
14.0%
Food Prep
10.9%
Production
5.3%
Construction
3.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
28.8 min
Drove Alone
67.4%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
1.9%
Work from Home
23.2%
Walked
0.9%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
120,066
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
58.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
27.5%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.5%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
7.6%
15–19
6.8%
20–24
5.6%
25–34
11.9%
35–44
14.6%
45–54
13.8%
55–64
7.0%
65–74
6.0%
75–84
8.8%
85+
4.3%
Under 18: 24.0%
Working age (18–64): 76.0%
65 and over: 14.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
22.2%
Naturalized Citizen
66.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
8.1%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
59.3%
Latin America
17.8%
Africa
14.0%
Europe
8.0%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.2%
With a Disability
8.4%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
96.0%
Uninsured
4.0%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
96.2%
Has a Computer
98.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
88.4%
Moved from Abroad
0.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Howard County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Howard County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County | 1,379 | 2,358 |
| Prince George's County | 1,353 | 2,399 |
| Baltimore County | 1,313 | 2,404 |
| Montgomery County | 1,293 | 2,311 |
| Other flows - South | 1,087 | 1,820 |
| Baltimore city | 760 | 1,218 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 527 | 841 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 413 | 682 |
| Other flows - West | 359 | 611 |
| Carroll County | 247 | 405 |