Maryland · PUMA · 2024 ACS PUMS
Central Howard County--Columbia
A Census profile of the Central Howard County--Columbia Public Use Microdata Area in Maryland, from the 2024 American Community Survey. It is home to 101,563 people, with a median household income of $135,861 and a median age of 40.9.
Cities & areas covered: Central Howard County, Columbia.
How Central Howard County--Columbia compares to Maryland
- Median household income here is $135,861, $32,407 above the Maryland figure of $103,454.
- The bachelor's-degree rate here is 64.7%, 19.8% above the Maryland figure of 44.9%.
- Homeownership here is 65.1%, 2.8% below the Maryland figure of 67.9%.
- The poverty rate here is 8.1%, 0.8% below the Maryland figure of 8.9%.
Central Howard County--Columbia vs. Maryland vs. the U.S.
Every figure is a weighted estimate from the 2024 ACS PUMS. The MD and U.S. columns are the state and population-weighted national averages, for comparison.
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $135,861 | $103,454 |
| Median family income | $164,684 | $130,967 |
| Mean wage (workers) | $88,270 | $76,937 |
| Median personal income (15+) | $60,915 | $43,250 |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 8.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% |
| Labor force participation (16+) | 71.0% | 67.9% |
| Mean hours worked / week | 36.8 | 37.9 |
| Mean Interest, dividends, and net rental income | $3,654 | $2,608 |
| Mean Selected monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income | 24.0% | 24.0% |
| Mean All other income | $1,189 | $791 |
| Mean Public assistance income | $33 | $34 |
| Mean Total person's earnings | $63,093 | $53,908 |
| Mean Income-to-poverty ratio | 401.4 | 357.4 |
| Mean Retirement income | $8,146 | $4,904 |
| Mean Self-employment income | $2,640 | $2,477 |
| Mean Supplementary Security Income | $142 | $235 |
| Mean Social Security income | $4,704 | $3,572 |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.7% | 44.9% |
| High school diploma or higher | 95.9% | 91.3% |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 15.0% | 12.2% |
| Business operations | 5.3% | 4.9% |
| Financial specialists | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Computer & math | 8.9% | 6.1% |
| Architecture & engineering | 4.1% | 2.4% |
| Science | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Community & social service | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Legal | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Education instruction | 8.7% | 6.7% |
| Arts, design & media | 5.9% | 2.4% |
| Healthcare practitioners | 5.4% | 6.0% |
| Healthcare support | 2.0% | 3.2% |
| Protective service | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Food prep & serving | 3.6% | 4.7% |
| Building & grounds cleaning | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Personal care | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Sales | 8.6% | 7.6% |
| Office & admin support | 6.7% | 10.0% |
| Farming, fishing & forestry | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Construction | 2.1% | 4.2% |
| Extraction | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Installation & repair | 0.8% | 2.7% |
| Production | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Transportation & moving | 4.9% | 6.2% |
| Military | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Agriculture & forestry (industry) | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Mining & oil/gas (industry) | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Utilities (industry) | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Construction (industry) | 3.0% | 6.7% |
| Manufacturing (industry) | 3.8% | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade (industry) | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| Retail trade (industry) | 10.7% | 9.5% |
| Transportation & warehousing (industry) | 2.6% | 4.4% |
| Information (industry) | 3.3% | 1.7% |
| Finance & insurance (industry) | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| Professional & technical (industry) | 22.1% | 15.8% |
| Educational services (industry) | 11.1% | 10.2% |
| Health care (industry) | 9.1% | 11.1% |
| Social assistance (industry) | 4.2% | 2.4% |
| Arts & entertainment (industry) | 9.3% | 8.7% |
| Other services (industry) | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| Public administration (industry) | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| Armed forces (industry) | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Uninsured | 5.8% | 6.4% |
| Private insurance | 77.6% | 73.0% |
| Public insurance | 33.0% | 35.0% |
| With a disability | 9.5% | 12.6% |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Mean commute time | 28 min | 32 min |
| Drove to work | 72.9% | 75.4% |
| Public transit to work | 3.3% | 4.8% |
| Worked from home | 20.9% | 15.7% |
| Mean Weeks worked | 34.2 | 32.9 |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $500,000 | $410,000 |
| Median gross rent | $2,140 | $1,705 |
| Rent as % of income | 24.0% | 30.0% |
| Homeownership rate | 65.1% | 67.9% |
| Average household size | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 3 |
| Median rooms | 7 | 6 |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1980 |
| Vehicles per household | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| No vehicle | 4.8% | 8.9% |
| Single-family detached | 41.1% | 52.3% |
| Broadband internet | 95.4% | 95.3% |
| Median Condominium and/or homeowners association fee | $100 | $0 |
| Median Electricity cost | $190 | $180 |
| Median Fuel cost | $300 | $900 |
| Median Gas cost | $100 | $90 |
| Mean Age of the householder | 53.8 | 53.3 |
| Median Mobile home costs | — | $1,800 |
| Median First mortgage payment | $2,100 | $1,900 |
| Mean Number of own children in household | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Mean Number of related children in household | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Median Monthly rent | $2,000 | $1,500 |
| Median Selected monthly owner costs | $2,308 | $1,913 |
| Median Total payment on all second and junior mortgages and home equity loans | $660 | $480 |
| Median Property taxes | $5,250 | $3,850 |
| Median Water cost | $440 | $510 |
| Statistic | This PUMA | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 101,563 | 6,263,220 |
| Average age | 40.9 | 39.9 |
| Married (15+) | 50.9% | 46.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.2% | 13.3% |
| Black | 25.2% | 28.6% |
| Asian | 10.0% | 6.9% |
| Mean Fire/hazard/flood insurance | $1,451 | $1,569 |
| Mean Number of persons in family | 2 | 2 |
Central Howard County--Columbia — FAQ
What is the population of the Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA?+
The Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA in Maryland has a population of 101,563, per the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) PUMS.
What is the median household income in Central Howard County--Columbia, MD?+
Median household income in the Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA is $135,861, compared with $103,454 across Maryland and $83,310 nationally.
What cities and counties are in the Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA?+
The Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA covers Central Howard County, Columbia. PUMAs are built from whole counties or, in denser areas, groups of census tracts, so one PUMA can span several places.
What is a PUMA?+
A PUMA (Public Use Microdata Area) is a U.S. Census geography of roughly 100,000 or more people — the most detailed level at which ACS PUMS microdata is released. Maryland contains 48 PUMAs.
Where does this Central Howard County--Columbia data come from?+
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 ACS Public Use Microdata Sample — a de-identified, weighted sample of individual records. PUMSdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.