City profile
Columbia, MD
Planned, diverse community between Baltimore and D.C. with lakes, paths and top schools.
Climate
Climate type
Four seasons
Winter avg
33°F
Summer avg
78°F
Sunny days / yr
210
Home prices & cost of living
Median home price
$520,000
Typical monthly housing
$3,246
Cost of living (100 = U.S.)
120
Taxes
- Property tax
- 1.00%
- State income tax (top)
- 6.5%
- Social Security
- Not taxed
- Pensions
- Partly exempt
- Sales tax (state + avg. local)
- 6.00%
FEMA natural hazard risk
Relatively Low · county score 72/100
Top hazards: Winter weather, Heat wave, Strong wind
Nearest major airport
11 mi to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Political lean (2024 county vote)
Leans Democratic · 69% Democratic / 28% Republican
Demographics (Census ACS)
Population (2024)
104,338
Growth since 2019
+0.3%
Median age
39.4
Residents 65+
17.1%
Median household income
$131,490
Income growth since 2019
+21.4%
Black household income
$109,278
Home ownership
64.8%
Poverty rate
7.5%
Poverty rate, 65+
7.4%
Race & ethnicity: Black 28.0% · White 42.3% · Hispanic 10.1% · Asian 11.8% · Other 7.7%
Crime (per 100,000 residents, 2025)
Violent crime
116 · 65% below the national average
Property crime
1,483 · about the national average
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Howard County Police Department. State average: violent 365, property 1,853.
2025–2026 trends
2026 market trends
- ▸Home prices are still rising in 2026 — good for long-term value, less room to negotiate
- ▸Climate/cost risks to check: coastal flooding
Highlights
- Diverse by design
- Lakes and walking paths
- Between DC and Baltimore
Trade-offs
- Expensive
- Suburban
Figures are estimates from public sources (see How we match). Verify before making decisions.