PlainZIP

Columbia, MD · standard

ZIP Code 21045

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

38,288
1,523/sq mi
$118,563
Median income
$453,700
Median home value
56.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 10%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 16%
home value, US ZIPs
1,523
people per sq mi
68%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 21045 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 21045 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Columbia, Howard County, Maryland, with 38,288 residents across 25.1 square miles, a density of 1,523 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 21045 skews affluent, with a median household income of $118,563 (4% above the Maryland average), while per-capita income is $56,185. 8.6% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.3%. On housing, the median home value is $453,700 (1% above the state average) with median rent at $1,777 per month, and 68.3% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 56.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.6, and the average commute is 27 minutes. To put 21045 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Howard County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 21045

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Columbia, MD

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 21045.

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 21045, 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

38,288

Population

25.1

Area (sq mi)

1,523

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 21045?

39.6

Median Age

48.0%

Male

52.0%

Female

22.1%

Foreign-Born

White 40.3%
African American 31.6%
Asian 9.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%

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?

$118,563

Median Household Income

+4% vs state

$56,185

Per Capita Income

8.6%

Poverty Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

27.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 21045 ranks nationally

Columbia, MD household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$118,563 Top 10% higher than 90% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 71.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 56.6%

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

What does housing look like?

15,780

Total Housing Units

15,414

Occupied Units

366

Vacant Units

2.59

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 68.3%
Renter 31.7%

$453,700

Median Home Value

+1% vs state

$1,777

Median Rent

1978

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

+4.0%

YoY Change (2024)

293

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+193%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 21045 have increased 4.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +193% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.8% 211
2021 +7.8% 227
2022 +14.3% 260
2023 +8.3% 282
2024 +4.0% 293

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 1,410 business establishments in ZIP 21045, employing approximately 22,695 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,422,511,000.

1,410

Businesses

22,695

Employees

$1.4B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 293 20.8%
Health care and social assistance 248 17.6%
Retail trade 136 9.7%
Accommodation and food services 130 9.2%
Other services (except public administration) 114 8.1%
Finance and insurance 94 6.7%
Construction 76 5.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 61 4.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 55 3.9%
Educational services 46 3.3%
Wholesale trade 44 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 43 3.0%
Information 24 1.7%
Transportation and warehousing 22 1.6%
Manufacturing 20 1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 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 21045 vs 21046 →

ZIP 21045 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 21045 ranks #3 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 21045 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 21045 ranks #7 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
21046 Columbia, MD 15,080 2.4 mi
21044 Columbia, MD 41,704 3.0 mi
21075 Elkridge, MD 26,344 4.1 mi
21043 Ellicott City, MD 42,246 3.9 mi
20763 Savage, MD 2,664 5.0 mi
20794 Jessup, MD 14,098 4.4 mi
20723 Laurel, MD 28,972 5.2 mi
20701 Annapolis Junction, MD 2 6.0 mi
21029 Clarksville, MD 11,333 6.7 mi
20724 Laurel, MD 16,093 7.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Howard County

21043 standard
Ellicott City, MD
Pop: 42,246
21044 standard
Columbia, MD
Pop: 41,704
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 21045 in? ▼
ZIP code 21045 (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 21045? ▼
ZIP code 21045 in Columbia, MD has a population of 38,288 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 21045? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 21045 is $118,563, which is 55% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 21045? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 21045 is $453,700, which is 63% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 21045? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 21045 is White at 40.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 21045? ▼
ZIP code 21045 has 1,410 business establishments employing approximately 22,695 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 21045? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 21045 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (293), Health care and social assistance (248), Retail trade (136). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 21045? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 21045 increased by 4.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 193%. 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 21045? ▼
In ZIP code 21045, 71.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 56.6% 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 21045? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 21045 is 27.3 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 21045? ▼
In ZIP code 21045, approximately 68.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 31.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 21045? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 21045 is 8.6% 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.