Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

103,920

US Senator

Chris Van Hollen

Democratic Party

US Senator

Angela Alsobrooks

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

39.4

0.767% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

7.53%

1.01% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$132,420

2.16% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$498,400

3.62% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

54,806

2.49% 1-year decline

About

25.7% of the households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

92.7% of the residents in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are Howard Community College (1,172 degrees awarded in 2024) and Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia (618 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was $498,400, and the homeownership rate was 64.8%.

Most people in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was 2 cars per household.

Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD borders West Howard County--Ellicott City (North & West), Fulton & Highland PUMA, MD and East Howard County--Ellicott City (Southeast), North Laurel & Elkridge PUMA, MD.

United States Maryland

Population & Diversity

Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD is home to a population of 104k people, from which 92.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 20.7% of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD residents were born outside of the country (21.5k people).

In 2024, there were 1.53 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (44.2k people) in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 28.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 12.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are Spanish (7,028 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (2,719 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (1,683 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

53,754

Women

51.7%

50,238

Men

48.3%

The resident population of United States in 2024 was 103,992 inhabitants, with 48.3% men, and 51.7% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

92.7%

2024 Citizenship

92.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.7% of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was 92.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD

White (Non-Hispanic)
44.2k ± 1.56k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
28.9k ± 1.56k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
12.3k ± 1.3k

10.1%

Hispanic Population

10.5k people

10.1% of the people in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are hispanic (10.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

India
2,397 ± 1,188 people
Korea
1,839 ± 1,043 people
China
1,639 ± 986 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was India, the natal country of 2,397 Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD residents, followed by Korea with 1,839 and China with 1,639.

Foreign-Born Population

20.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

21.5k people

20.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

21.8k people

As of 2024, 20.7% of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD residents (21.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was 20.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
7,028 households (7.16%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
2,719 households (2.77%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
1,683 households (1.72%)

25.7% of the households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was Spanish. 7.16% of the households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,975 ± 396
Gulf War (1990s)
1,267 ± 366
Vietnam
1,264 ± 214

Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.56 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD.

Health

95.4% of the population of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD has health coverage, with 58.4% on employee plans, 11.6% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 1.13% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Maryland see 1,179 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,179 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1238 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 273 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

1,179 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Maryland

Primary care physicians in Maryland see an average of 1,179 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,179 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Maryland in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.6% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.59%

Uninsured

58.4%

Employer Coverage

11.6%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

13%

Non-Group

1.13%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD declined by 1.04% from 4.64% to 4.59%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD employs 54.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD were Elementary & secondary schools (3,676 people), Computer Systems Design (3,590 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (2,811 people), and the highest paying industries were Wired telecommunications carriers ($180,916), Business, professional, political, & similar organizations ($176,963), and Offices of physicians ($166,575).

Males in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD have an average income that is 1.24 times higher than the average income of females, which is $95,185. The income inequality in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD (measured using the Gini index) is 0.428, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

27,199

Women

49.6%

27,607

Men

50.4%

The workforce of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD in 2024 was 54,806 people, with 49.6% woman, and 50.4% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

54.8k

2024 Value

−2.49%

1 Year decline

± −2.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD declined at a rate of −2.49%, from 56.2k employees to 54.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD, are Software developers (2,176 people), Other managers (2,109 people), and Retail salespersons (1,416 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maryland (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

54.8k

2024 Value

−2.49%

1 Year decline

± −2.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD declined at a rate of −2.49%, from 56.2k employees to 54.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD, are Elementary & secondary schools (3,676 people), Computer Systems Design (3,590 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (2,811 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD, though some of these residents may live in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$87,440

Median earning men ± $5,443

$64,088

Median earning women ± $4,417

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($128,750), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($116,952), and Information ($97,135).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($108,618), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($91,100), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($86,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Y-Axis

0.617%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.69M people employed in Maryland. This represents a 0.617% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maryland.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing the state of Maryland. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Maryland is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD. Showing the available data for Maryland.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (62.6%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.1%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (1.09%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Maryland for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maryland

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Angela Alsobrooks

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing Maryland.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Maryland over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD awarded 1,790 degrees. The student population of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,761 male students and 5,140 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are Black or African American (591 and 34.4%), White (459 and 26.7%), Hispanic or Latino (320 and 18.6%), and Asian (174 and 10.1%).

The largest universities in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD by number of degrees awarded are Howard Community College (1,172 and 65.5%) and Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia (618 and 34.5%).

The most popular majors in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD are General Studies (465 and 26%), Automobile Mechanics Technology (184 and 10.3%), and HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering Technology (177 and 9.89%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 9,901 students enrolled in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD, 48.1% men and 51.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 3,008 records, of which 52.4% were women and 47.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
465 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
170 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
160 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was General Studies with 465 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Howard Community College
1,172 degrees awarded
Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia
618 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Howard Community College with 1,172 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 1,013 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD, which is 1.3 times more than the 777 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 591 degrees mean that there were 1.29 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 459 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($7,371) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($765) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($2,808) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 0.597% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.12% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD in 2024 were Graduate Degree (24.4k), Bachelors Degree (24k), and Some college (12.9k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was $498,400 in 2024, which is 1.5 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $481,000 to $498,400, a 3.62% increase. The homeownership rate in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD is 64.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD have an average commute time of 27.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$498,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,540

$26,558

Median Property Taxes

±$1,065

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.8%

Homeownership

2024

69%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 64.8% of the housing units in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$132,420

Median Household Income

± $5,735

41k

Number of Households

± 1,681

In 2024, the median household income of the 41k households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD grew to $132,420 from the previous year's value of $129,623.

The following chart displays the households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.428

2024 Wage GINI in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD

0.432

2023 Wage GINI in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD

In 2024, the income inequality in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was 0.428 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.902% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (65.4%)
Worked At Home (24.8%)
Carpooled (5.17%)

In 2024, 65.4% of workers in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (24.8%) and those who carpooled to work (5.17%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD have a longer commute time (27.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.36% of the workforce in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.53% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD (7.78k out of 103k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Central Howard County--Columbia PUMA, MD is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.