Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources
Typical home value$625,349+0.8% YoY · prices are rising
Market right nowBalanced, leaning buyersMore homes for sale than last year, 21% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$135,563About 0.9× the local median income ($149,980): affordable for a typical household
Days on market33 daysAbout the same pace as a year ago
Next 12 months+0.6%Zillow expects prices to rise slightly
The typical home in Howard County, MD is worth $625,349, up 0.8% from a year ago. That is slightly below what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $655,389, so the area is 4.6% undervalued. It is a balanced market, leaning toward buyers: homes take about 33 days to sell, listings are up 20% from a year ago, 21% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 0.6% over the next year. A household needs about $135,563 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $149,980. Typical rent is $2,358 a month, or $3,047 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 1,121 more people moved out than in.
Home value over time
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.
Prices and affordability
Typical home value
$625,349
Change in 1 year
+0.8%
Overvalued %
−4.6%
Show 7 more
Fair home value
$655,389
Change in 5 years
+16.5%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months
+0.6%
Home value to income
4.2×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)
$3,389
Income needed to afford it
$135,563
Property tax rate
1.17%
Rent and investing
Typical rent
$2,358
Typical rent for houses
$3,047
Price-to-rent ratio
22.1×
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HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,006
Gross rental yield
4.52%
Cap rate (estimate)
2.94%
Market activity
Listings vs a year ago
+20.4%
Days on market
33
Listings with a price cut
20.8%
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Homes for sale
596
Pending sales per 100 listings
47
Asking price per sq ft
$257
People and jobs
Median household income
$149,980
Population change (1 year)
+0.4%
Unemployment rate
3.5%
Show 4 more
Population
339,183
Income adjusted for cost of living
$143,522
Net moves in (IRS)
−1,121
Cost of living (US = 100)
104.5
Schools, risk and environment
School rating (1 to 10)
8.1
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)
72.4
Unhealthy air days a year
0
Show 4 more
Flood risk score
78.1
Wildfire risk score
15.6
Walkability (1 to 20)
10.3
Road, rail and air noise
54 dB
Questions people ask
Is Howard County, MD overvalued?
Home prices in Howard County, MD are slightly below what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $655,389, so the area is 4.6% undervalued.
Is Howard County, MD a buyer's or seller's market?
Howard County, MD is a balanced market, leaning toward buyers: homes take about 33 days to sell, listings are up 20% from a year ago, 21% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Howard County, MD?
Home values in Howard County, MD are up 0.8% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +0.6%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Howard County, MD?
A household needs about $135,563 a year to afford the typical home in Howard County, MD at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $149,980.