Howard County, Maryland
Located in Maryland, Howard County has a population of 336,328 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #218 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.2%. The median home value is $597,900, and the median household income is $149,763, which is 99% above the national median.
Demographics
Howard County has a population of 336,328, making it the #218 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Howard County is $149,763, ranking #5 out of 3,222 counties — 99.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.2% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howard County is $597,900 (+112.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,099/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howard County, 64.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 91.3% above the national average, ranking #9 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howard County is 82.5 years. 10.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
8.1% of adults in Howard County smoke , 26.9% are obese , and 16.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Howard County is 3.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 7.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
6.3% of children in Howard County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 4.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howard County is 82.8%. The mean commute time is 31.6 min, which is 14.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howard County voted Democratic with a margin of 41.7%. The vote was 69.1% Dem / 27.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howard County, Maryland
Howard County, Maryland has a total population of 336,328, making it the 218th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howard County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howard County is $149,763, which ranks #5 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 99.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Howard County is $597,900, 112.1% above the national median. Renters in Howard County pay a median gross rent of $2,099 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howard County, 64.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 91.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.6 min.
Howard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 45.9% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (19.7%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (19.2%).
All data for Howard County, Maryland comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.