PlainZIP

Columbia, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21044

Howard County, Maryland - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

41,704
1,342/sq mi
$135,057
Median income
$566,500
Median home value
67.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Columbia pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 6%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 10%
home value, US ZIPs
1,342
people per sq mi
60%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21044 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21044 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Columbia, Howard County, Maryland, with 41,704 residents across 31.1 square miles, a density of 1,342 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21044 skews affluent, with a median household income of $135,057 (18% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $68,805. 7.0% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.9%. Median home value sits at $566,500 (27% above the state average), median rent at $2,166 a month, and owner-occupancy at 60.3%.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 67.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40, and the average commute is 29 minutes. Beyond these figures, 10 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Howard County, letting you compare 21044 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 21044

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbia, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21044.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 21044, Columbia, MD · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

41,704

Population

31.1

Area (sq mi)

1,342

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 21044?

40.0

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

20.5%

Foreign-Born

White 44.7%
African American 27.2%
Asian 12.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$135,057

Median Household Income

+18% vs state

$68,805

Per Capita Income

7.0%

Poverty Rate

3.9%

Unemployment Rate

29.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21044 ranks nationally

Columbia, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$135,057 Top 6% higher than 94% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 77.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 67.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

19,811

Total Housing Units

18,293

Occupied Units

1,518

Vacant Units

2.39

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 60.3%
Renter 39.7%

$566,500

Median Home Value

+27% vs state

$2,166

Median Rent

1985

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+8.5%

YoY Change (2024)

274

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+174%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21044 have increased 8.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +174% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +1.9% 201
2021 +6.3% 214
2022 +13.5% 242
2023 +4.0% 252
2024 +8.5% 274

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,181 business establishments in ZIP 21044, employing approximately 24,225 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,219,166,000.

1,181

Businesses

24,225

Employees

$2.2B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 257 21.8%
Health care and social assistance 212 17.9%
Retail trade 163 13.8%
Accommodation and food services 101 8.6%
Finance and insurance 89 7.5%
Other services (except public administration) 86 7.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 55 4.7%
Construction 49 4.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 45 3.8%
Educational services 28 2.4%
Wholesale trade 22 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 20 1.7%
Transportation and warehousing 19 1.6%
Information 19 1.6%
Management of companies and enterprises 10 0.8%
Manufacturing 4 0.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 21044 vs 21045 →

ZIP 21044 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 21044 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 21044 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 21044 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
21045 Columbia, MD 38,288 3.0 mi
21042 Ellicott City, MD 38,076 4.2 mi
21029 Clarksville, MD 11,333 3.7 mi
21046 Columbia, MD 15,080 3.4 mi
20723 Laurel, MD 28,972 5.2 mi
20759 Fulton, MD 3,355 4.5 mi
20707 Laurel, MD 31,538 7.8 mi
20777 Highland, MD 3,314 5.1 mi
21043 Ellicott City, MD 42,246 5.6 mi
21075 Elkridge, MD 26,344 7.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Howard County

21043 standard
Ellicott City, MD
Pop: 42,246
21045 standard
Columbia, MD
Pop: 38,288
21042 standard
Ellicott City, MD
Pop: 38,076
20723 standard
Laurel, MD
Pop: 28,972
21075 standard
Elkridge, MD
Pop: 26,344
21046 standard
Columbia, MD
Pop: 15,080

Related Areas

Howard County Columbia, MD Maryland

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 21044 in? ▼
ZIP code 21044 (Columbia) is located in Howard County, Maryland. Howard County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/howard-md.
What is the population of ZIP code 21044? ▼
ZIP code 21044 in Columbia, MD has a population of 41,704 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21044? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21044 is $135,057, which is 77% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21044? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21044 is $566,500, which is 104% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21044? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21044 is White at 44.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21044? ▼
ZIP code 21044 has 1,181 business establishments employing approximately 24,225 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21044? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21044 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (257), Health care and social assistance (212), Retail trade (163). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21044? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21044 increased by 8.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 174%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 21044? ▼
In ZIP code 21044, 77.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 67.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 21044? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21044 is 29.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 21044? ▼
In ZIP code 21044, approximately 60.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 39.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21044? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21044 is 7.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.