21044 ZIP Code — Columbia, MD

Howard County, Maryland

ZIP code 21044 is located in Columbia, Maryland, within Howard County. It covers approximately 11.89 square miles and serves a population of 45,100 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 443/410/240/667/301.

About ZIP code 21044

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $514,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.

The gap between median ($123,658) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 67% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 21044 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a high rate of remote workers.

45,100

population

11.89

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

21044 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 21044

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 21044. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Columbia	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

21045 Columbia (2.9 mi) 21046 Columbia (3.1 mi) 21029 Clarksville (3.7 mi) 20759 Fulton (3.8 mi) 20723 Laurel (4.5 mi) 21042 Ellicott City (5.1 mi) 20777 Highland (5.3 mi) 20763 Savage (5.9 mi) 21043 Ellicott City (6 mi) 20794 Jessup (6.5 mi) 20861 Ashton (7 mi) 21036 Dayton (7.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	45,100
Population density	3,793 / sq mi
State FIPS	24
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	11.89 sq mi
Water area	0.10 sq mi
Latitude	39.2044
Longitude	-76.8814
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	443/410/240/667/301

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.5%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	25.5%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.4%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	19.6%	25.2%	13.4%

Demographics & statistics

45,100

Population

3,793

People per sq mi

39.6

Median age

$123,658

Median household income

$63,003

Per capita income

$514,400

Median home value

$1,923

Median monthly rent

60.4%

Home ownership

8.0%

Poverty rate

4.5%

Unemployment

12,337

Housing units

66.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

885

Under 5

968

1,107

5–9

1,211

1,352

10–14

1,479

1,291

15–19

1,413

1,364

20–24

1,492

3,553

25–34

3,887

2,654

35–44

2,903

2,670

45–54

2,922

1,624

55–59

1,777

1,205

60–64

1,318

1,952

65–74

2,135

1,203

75–84

1,317

677

85+

741

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	8,444	18.7%
18 and over	36,656	81.3%
65 and over	8,025	17.8%
Median age	39.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 44.3%

Black or African American 24.7%

Asian 11.7%

Two or more races 9.8%

Hispanic or Latino 6.9%

Other race 2.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	21,455	44.3%
Black or African American	11,984	24.7%
Asian	5,653	11.7%
Two or more races	4,735	9.8%
Hispanic or Latino	3,355	6.9%
Other race	1,173	2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	88	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.5%	17.1%	28.2%
$50k – $100k	25.5%	22.9%	28.2%
$100k – $200k	35.4%	34.8%	30.1%
Over $200k	19.6%	25.2%	13.4%

Under $10k 3.1%

$10k–$15k 2.5%

$15k–$25k 3.6%

$25k–$35k 3.5%

$35k–$50k 3.8%

$50k–$75k 10.7%

$75k–$100k 11.3%

$100k–$150k 22.6%

$150k–$200k 13.6%

$200k+ 25.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.1%
$10k–$15k	2.5%
$15k–$25k	3.6%
$25k–$35k	3.5%
$35k–$50k	3.8%
$50k–$75k	10.7%
$75k–$100k	11.3%
$100k–$150k	22.6%
$150k–$200k	13.6%
$200k+	25.3%
Median income	$123,658

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.6%

$50k–$100k 0.3%

$100k–$150k 0.4%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k–$300k 11.1%

$300k–$500k 31.2%

$500k–$1M 50.3%

$1M+ 1.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$514,400
Median rent / month	$1,923
Owner occupied	60.4%
Renter occupied	39.6%
Vacant	6.9%
Single-family detached	35.9%
Large apartment buildings	13.9%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.66

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	8.3%
2000–2009	6.4%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	26.8%
1970–1979	25.3%
1960–1969	11.8%
1950–1959	1.4%
1940–1949	0.1%
1939 or earlier	0.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	14.8%
2 bedrooms	24.9%
3 bedrooms	23.5%
4 bedrooms	24.6%
5+ bedrooms	10.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.9%
1 vehicle	34.5%
2 vehicles	45.1%
3 or more	14.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.0%
Electricity	55.6%
Propane / LP gas	0.5%
Fuel oil	1.4%
Wood	0.2%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,316	45.7%
Cohabiting couple	1,154	6.3%
Male householder, no spouse	2,676	14.7%
Female householder, no spouse	6,053	33.3%
Households with children under 18	4,630	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,583	30.7%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	39.3%	31.2%
Married	51.2%	42.8%
Separated	1.5%	1.4%
Widowed	1.5%	11.9%
Divorced	6.5%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 1.6%

HS graduate 11.2%

Some college, no degree 12.7%

Associate's degree 5.3%

Bachelor's degree 30.7%

Graduate / professional 36.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.9%
Bachelor's or higher	66.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	642	5.6%
Kindergarten	440	3.8%
Elementary school	4,108	35.9%
High school	2,137	18.7%
College / grad school	4,131	36.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.0%

Professional & management 20.5%

Public administration 12.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.5%

Retail trade 7.2%

Finance & real estate 5.9%

Manufacturing 5.0%

Other services 4.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.9%

Information 2.3%

Construction 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	64.6%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	16.6%
Natural resources & construction	1.7%
Production & transportation	5.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.4%
Government	24.7%
Self-employed	3.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	67.9%
Carpool	4.4%
Public transit	3.9%
Walk	1.9%
Work from home	20.5%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.6

Poverty

All people 8.0%

Under 18 years 14.0%

18 and over 6.6%

Married-couple families 1.5%

Female-led households 17.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.0%
Retirement income	25.6%
Supplemental Security	3.8%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.4%
High blood pressure	31.1%
High cholesterol	32.0%
Diabetes	8.7%
Heart disease	4.5%
Stroke	2.3%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	20.3%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	4.0%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.3%
Binge drinking	12.6%
No physical activity	17.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.3%
Depression	15.7%
Fair or poor health	8.9%
Poor mental health	11.7%
Poor physical health	6.5%
No health insurance	8.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	72.7%
Cholesterol screening	93.4%
Teeth loss	7.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,428	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.1%
Under 18	8.0%
18–64 years	7.1%
65 and over	29.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	81.2%
Public insurance	30.1%
No insurance	4.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	43,247	95.9%
Spanish	3,381	7.8%
Other Indo-European	737	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	521	1.2%
Other languages	1,767	4.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	36,586	81.1%
Born in same state	35,537	78.8%
Born in different state	14,568	32.3%
Foreign born	1,049	2.3%
Naturalized citizen	8,514	18.9%
Not a US citizen	5,658	66.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,140	11.4%
French	3,671	8.1%
Arab	1,481	3.3%
Polish	438	1%
Norwegian	295	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	240	0.5%
Irish	231	0.5%
English	173	0.4%
Dutch	142	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.4%
Internet access	98.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 21044

What city is ZIP code 21044 in?

ZIP code 21044 is primarily assigned to Columbia, Maryland.

What county is ZIP code 21044 in?

ZIP code 21044 falls within Howard County, Maryland.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 21044?

67% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 21044?

The median household income in ZIP code 21044 is $123,658, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 21044?

The median home value in ZIP code 21044 is $514,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 21044?

ZIP code 21044 has an estimated population of 45,100 residents, with a density of 3,794 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 21044 in?

ZIP code 21044 observes the EST timezone.