Local Counties and Cities
Howard County, Maryland
Population (2007 est.):
274,354
Size: 251 square miles
Strategically located between the District of Columbia and Baltimore, Howard County is one of the fastest growing jurisdictions in Maryland. It features modern high technology industries surrounded by old mills, architectural landmarks, horse farms and open countryside, all carefully preserved. Residents enjoy quality living in settings that range from historic old towns to progressive planned communities. Recreational and cultural activities are virtually non-stop.
The County's prime location and accessibility have attracted growing numbers of businesses. Biotechnology firms, telecommunications, international business, and "back-office" operations are all growth sectors here. Major employers include The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Honeywell Technology Solutions, W.R. Grace, Corvis Corporation and the Rouse Company.
For more information, visit the Howard County website or contact the county at rstory@hceda.org.
| Geography/Land Use | ||
|---|---|---|
| Land Area (square miles) | 251 | |
| Agricultural (Acres) | 40,445 | 25% |
| Commercial/Industrial (Acres) | 17,154 | 11% |
| Public/Open Space (Acres) | 28,191 | 17% |
| Residential (Acres) | 74,850 | 47% |
| Source: Howard County Economic Development Authority | ||
| Population Characteristics | ||
| Year | Population | Households |
| 1980 (1) | 118,572 | 39,990 |
| 1990 (1) | 187,328 | 68,337 |
| 2000 (1) | 247,842 | 90,043 |
| 2010 (2) | 294,200 | 108,700 |
| 2020 (2) | 319,300 | 124,700 |
| 2030 (2) | 321,100 | 127,600 |
| Source: 1 - U.S. Census Bureau; 2 - Baltimore Metropolitan Council Round 6B Cooperative Forecast | ||
| Age Distribution 2007 | ||
| Description | Estimate | Percent |
| Age 0 - 4 | 18,207 | 6.64% |
| Age 5 - 9 | 19,237 | 7.01% |
| Age 10 - 14 | 21,310 | 7.77% |
| Age 15 - 17 | 14,087 | 5.13% |
| Age 18 - 20 | 9,368 | 3.41% |
| Age 21 - 24 | 13,356 | 4.87% |
| Age 25 - 34 | 31,169 | 11.36% |
| Age 35 - 44 | 45,363 | 16.53% |
| Age 45 - 49 | 24,146 | 8.80% |
| Age 50 - 54 | 21,345 | 7.78% |
| Age 55 - 59 | 18,250 | 6.65% |
| Age 60 - 64 | 13,390 | 4.88% |
| Age 65 - 74 | 14,878 | 5.42% |
| Age 75 - 84 | 7,524 | 2.74% |
| Age 85 and over | 2,724 | 0.99% |
| Source: Claritas, 2007. | ||
| Population by Race and Ethnicity 2007 | ||
| Race/Ethnic Origin | Estimate | Percent |
| Not Hispanic or Latino: | 262,910 | |
| White Alone | 179,588 | 68.31% |
| Black or African American Alone | 43,475 | 16.54% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native Alone | 568 | 0.22% |
| Asian Alone | 31,400 | 11.94% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone | 143 | 0.05% |
| Some Other Race Alone | 716 | 0.27% |
| Two or More Races | 7,020 | 2.67% |
| Hispanic or Latino: | 11,444 | |
| White Alone | 6,425 | 56.14% |
| Black or African American Alone | 576 | 5.03% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native Alone | 105 | 0.92% |
| Asian Alone | 91 | 0.80% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Alone | 11 | 0.10% |
| Some Other Race Alone | 3,207 | 28.02% |
| Two or More Races | 1,029 | 8.99% |
| Source: Claritas, 2007. | ||
| Income 2007 | ||
| Estimate | ||
| Aggregate Household Income (billions) | $10.9 | |
| Average Household Income | $110,468 | |
| Median Household Income | $90,940 | |
| Per Capita | $40,202 | |
| Source: Claritas, 2007. | ||
| Employment/Unemployment Mar 2007 | ||
| Labor Force | 158,206 | |
| Employment | 154,260 | |
| Unemployment | 3,946 | |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | |
| Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007. | ||
| Occupational Characteristics of Residents | ||
| Major Category | Employed Persons | Distribution |
| Total | 135,504 | |
| Management, professional, and related occupations: | 77,296 | 57.0% |
| Management, business, and financial operations occupations: | 29,847 | 22.0% |
| Management occupations, except farmers and farm managers | 20,570 | 15.2% |
| Farmers and farm managers | 161 | 0.1% |
| Business and financial operations occupations: | 9,116 | 6.7% |
| Business operations specialists | 4,624 | 3.4% |
| Financial specialists | 4,492 | 3.3% |
| Professional and related occupations: | 47,449 | 35.0% |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 11,490 | 8.5% |
| Architecture and engineering occupations: | 5,431 | 4.0% |
| Architects, surveyors, cartographers, and engineers | 4,974 | 3.7% |
| Drafters, engineering, and mapping technicians | 457 | 0.3% |
| Life, physical, and social science occupations | 3,852 | 2.8% |
| Community and social services occupations | 2,136 | 1.6% |
| Legal occupations | 2,831 | 2.1% |
| Education, training, and library occupations | 9,965 | 7.4% |
| Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | 3,258 | 2.4% |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations: | 8,486 | 6.3% |
| Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and technical occupations | 7,128 | 5.3% |
| Health technologists and technicians | 1,358 | 1.0% |
| Service occupations: | 12,699 | 9.4% |
| Healthcare support occupations | 1,225 | 0.9% |
| Protective service occupations: | 2,086 | 1.5% |
| Fire fighting, prevention, and law enforcement workers, including supervisors | 1,245 | 0.9% |
| Other protective service workers, including supervisors | 841 | 0.6% |
| Food preparation and serving related occupations | 3,746 | 2.8% |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 2,298 | 1.7% |
| Personal care and service occupations | 3,344 | 2.5% |
| Sales and office occupations: | 31,984 | 23.6% |
| Sales and related occupations | 14,804 | 10.9% |
| Office and administrative support occupations | 17,180 | 12.7% |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 165 | 0.1% |
| Construction, extraction, and maintenance occupations: | 6,663 | 4.9% |
| Construction and extraction occupations: | 3,576 | 2.6% |
| Supervisors, construction and extraction workers | 642 | 0.5% |
| Construction trades workers | 2,926 | 2.2% |
| Extraction workers | 8 | 0.0% |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 3,087 | 2.3% |
| Production, transportation, and material moving occupations: | 6,697 | 4.9% |
| Production occupations | 3,104 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and material moving occupations: | 3,593 | 2.7% |
| Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers | 169 | 0.1% |
| Aircraft and traffic control occupations | 157 | 0.1% |
| Motor vehicle operators | 1,866 | 1.4% |
| Rail, water and other transportation occupations | 178 | 0.1% |
| Material moving workers | 1,223 | 0.9% |
| Source: American Community Survey 2005 | ||
| Educational Attainment of Adults | ||
| Percent High School Graduate or Higher | 95.0% | |
| Percent Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 57.9% | |
| Percent Graduate/Professional Degree | 27.6% | |
| Source: American Community Survey 2005 | ||
| Employment Trends | ||
| 2000 | 160,000 | |
| 2010 | 200,000 | 25.0% |
| 2020 | 230,000 | 15.0% |
| 2030 | 260,000 | 13.0% |
| Source: MWCOG Round 7.0 Cooperative Forecast | ||
| Employment by Industry | ||
| Industry | Employment | |
| Natural Resources/Mining | 348 | |
| Construction | 11,505 | |
| Manufacturing | 6,590 | |
| Trade/Transportation/Utilities | 34,745 | |
| Information | 1,877 | |
| Financial Activities | 8,821 | |
| Professional Services | 28,800 | |
| Education/Health Services | 12,764 | |
| Leisure/Hospitality | 13,004 | |
| Other Services | 3,897 | |
| Unclassified | 48 | |
| Federal Government | 3,234 | |
| State/Local Government | 15,769 | |
| Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2005; Note: N/D Not Disclosed | ||
| Major Corporate Employers | ||
| Employees | ||
| Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory | 3,800 | |
| Howard County General Hospital | 1,700 | |
| Giant Food Inc. | 1,450 | |
| Verizon Wireless | 1,400 | |
| The Columbia Association | 1,300 | |
| Maryland Health Enterprises | 1,200 | |
| SAIC | 1,100 | |
| SYSCO Food Services of Baltimore | 760 | |
| MICROS Systems Inc. | 700 | |
| Arbitron Inc. | 700 | |
| Source: Howard County Economic Development Authority | ||
| Housing Inventory | ||
| Single unit detached | 55,462 | |
| Single unit attached | 20,790 | |
| Multi-units | 23,193 | |
| Source: American Community Survey 2005 | ||
| Home Values | ||
| Owner-occupied units | Median Value | |
| 74,029 | $425,400 | |
| Source: American Community Survey 2005 | ||
| Primary and Secondary Education | ||
| Total Enrollment | 48,973 | |
| Number of Schools | 71 | |
| Elementary | 37 | |
| Middle | 19 | |
| High | 11 | |
| Other | 4 | |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics | ||
| Private Schools | ||
| Total Enrollment | 5,957 | |
| Number of Schools | 41 | |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics | ||
| Colleges and Universities | ||
| Enrollment | ||
| Howard Community College | 6,841 | |
| Johns Hopkins University | N/A | |
| University of Phoenix - Maryland Campus | 2,029 | |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics | ||
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