| ZIP Codes: | 24 ZIP Codes (21 Standard, 3 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 000 / 227 / 240 / 301 / 410 / 443 / 667 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:12:28 PM |
| Population: | 361,267 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 24027 |
| CBSA: | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
| Land Area: | 258 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 3 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 39.2275, -76.8982 |
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361,267 residents live across 24 ZIPs covering 258 sq mi, served by 20 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 317,012 to 361,267 from 2014 to 2024 — a +14.0% change. 18 ZIPs gained residents, 3 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 20759 (Fulton, $250,001 median) and poorest ZIP 20763 (Savage, $76,842) are 5.6 miles apart — a 3.3× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.4× across this county — from $419,200 in 20763 (Savage) to $999,400 in 21794 (West Friendship).
Density varies 21× across the county — from 197 people/sq mi in 21797 (Woodbine) to 4,064 in 21045 (Columbia).
Educational attainment ranges from 29.4% bachelor's+ in 20794 (Jessup) to 83.7% in 20759 (Fulton) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within Maryland, this is the #6 most populous of 24 counties and ranks #1 for median household income with the #2 fastest decade growth .
On the national stage, Howard County is ranks #5 for income .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $152,670 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
62.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (155,077 of 248,539 reporting).
21 Standard delivery, 3 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
12 ZIPs in this county where more than 60% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree — typically college campuses, research enclaves, or tech corridors.
Median household income spans 3.3× between the wealthiest and poorest ZIPs — a sign of significant intra-county inequality.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21043 | Ellicott City | Standard | 48,525 | $148,125 | 17.4 | 13.4% |
| 21044 | Columbia | Standard | 44,114 | $135,057 | 12.0 | 5.0% |
| 21042 | Ellicott City | Standard | 43,327 | $190,061 | 37.4 | 6.8% |
| 21045 | Columbia | Standard | 40,034 | $118,563 | 9.9 | 0.5% |
| 21075 | Elkridge | Standard | 37,363 | $135,303 | 14.1 | 30.6% |
| 20723 | Laurel | Standard | 36,866 | $138,113 | 13.5 | 18.7% |
| 21076 | Hanover | Standard | 24,268 | $146,869 | 13.6 | 71.5% |
| 20794 | Jessup | Standard | 16,814 | $116,406 | 9.1 | 20.8% |
| 21046 | Columbia | Standard | 15,608 | $127,813 | 8.0 | -3.3% |
| 21029 | Clarksville | Standard | 13,607 | $243,542 | 17.7 | 7.6% |
| 21797 | Woodbine | Standard | 8,643 | $189,241 | 43.9 | 5.9% |
| 21163 | Woodstock | Standard | 7,539 | $134,672 | 13.3 | 4.9% |
| 20759 | Fulton | Standard | 6,624 | $250,001 | 6.2 | 93.9% |
| 21738 | Glenwood | Standard | 3,696 | $250,001 | 7.0 | 7.1% |
| 20777 | Highland | Standard | 3,221 | $226,146 | 7.6 | -1.8% |
| 20763 | Savage | Standard | 2,601 | $76,842 | 1.1 | 10.3% |
| 21036 | Dayton | Standard | 2,569 | $218,036 | 6.6 | 4.1% |
| 21737 | Glenelg | Standard | 2,474 | $250,001 | 5.2 | 36.3% |
| 21794 | West Friendship | Standard | 2,192 | $231,466 | 8.2 | -9.5% |
| 21723 | Cooksville | Standard | 669 | $241,250 | 3.7 | 6.0% |
| 20701 | Annapolis Junction | Standard | 513 | $85,594 | 2.5 | 457.6% |
| 21150 | Simpsonville | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 21765 | Lisbon | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 21041 | Ellicott City | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |