City safety & data profile

ColumbiaMD

Columbia, MD is a 100K-resident city in Howard County with a median household income of $131,490.

Howard County, Maryland. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Columbia, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Columbia has a population larger than 92% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $497,400, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

100K
Population
Top 8%
By size
$131,490
Median income
$497,400
Median home
7.5%
Poverty rate

The read on Columbia

Columbia posts a median household income higher than 88% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Columbia area.

Top 12%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Columbia

Where Columbia income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$131,490 Top 12% higher than 88% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MD $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Columbia, MD beyond the headline numbers

Columbia sits inside Howard County, Maryland, at roughly 39.24°N, -76.84°W. Population 99,615, $131,490 median household income. Median home value $497,400, median rent $2,042. Poverty rate 7.5%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Columbia's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38%, then high blood pressure at 35%. 1 hospital in/around Columbia, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Columbia from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
99,615
Columbia
Median Income
$131,490
+93% vs avg
Median Home Value
$497,400
+118% vs avg
Median Age
39.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Howard County) - Columbia's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
336K+14%
Median Income
$149,763+36%
Median Home Value
$597,900+40%
Poverty Rate
5.2%+13%
Unemployment
3.4%-33%

Economics

Economics indicators for Columbia, MD
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,042/mo
Poverty Rate
7.5% -47% vs avg
Unemployment 4.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 63.6%
Work From Home 24.8%
Public Transit 2%

Population

White 43.3%
African American 28.7%
Asian 11.8%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38%
High Blood Pressure
35%
Obesity
32.2%
Physical Inactivity
16.9%
Binge Drinking
13.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
13.3%
Diabetes
10.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
10%
Current Asthma
9.8%
Current Smoking
7.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 70.1%
Annual Checkup 80.6%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
4.8%
Stroke
2.7%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
JOHNS HOPKINS HOWARD COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER
COLUMBIA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Columbia, MD? ▼
Columbia, MD has a population of 99,615 people, located in Howard County, Maryland.
What is the median household income in Columbia? ▼
The median household income in Columbia, MD is $131,490 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 7.5%.
What is the median home value in Columbia? ▼
The median home value in Columbia, MD is $497,400. Median rent is $2,042/month.
What are the top health concerns in Columbia? ▼
The top health indicators in Columbia include Short Sleep Duration (38%), High Blood Pressure (35%), Obesity (32.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Columbia? ▼
Columbia has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Columbia? ▼
The median age in Columbia, MD is 39.4 years. 63.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Columbia, MD is located in Howard County, Maryland. With a population of 100K and a $131,490 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Columbia area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Maryland

Real-time AQI for every monitored Maryland location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Ellicott City, MD 66K Ilchester, MD 23K Catonsville, MD 42K Scaggsville, MD 24K West Elkridge, MD 29K Hanover, MD 38K Milford Mill, MD 29K Elkridge, MD 16K
All cities in Maryland → Compare Columbia vs Ellicott City → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Columbia's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Columbia area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Columbia against Maryland peers on any ranking lens. Explore Maryland

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Howard County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.