Ellicott City, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ellicott City, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,776 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2216.3 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.58% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,698 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ellicott City grew by 16.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 66,776 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ellicott City is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.5% of residents. That is 2.5 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,724 19.1% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,540 20.3% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,706 23.5% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,776 16.1% -0.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Ellicott City and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 49.6% Maryland 48.5%
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Economy
Ellicott City has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $156,960 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.49% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ellicott City is about 51% higher than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $553,571 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,044 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ellicott City is about 22.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,044 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ellicott City spend about 50 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 209 hours, about 8.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.1 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.2 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 209 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,489 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 27.1% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 22,945 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,575 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Ellicott City is 25 minutes, shorter than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ellicott City has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.3% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.80 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Health
Ellicott City has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Ellicott City | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.4% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Ellicott City, MD Compared With Nearby Cities
Ellicott City, MD is the 2nd largest of the 6 cities compared here, 66,776 residents against a local median of 40,959. Ellicott City, MD's median household income, at $156,960, runs 37% above the $114,422 typical of the cities around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $553,571 against a local median of $426,735, 30% above it. The cities themselves spread $81,403 on median household income, so Ellicott City, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ellicott City, MD has the highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellicott City, MD | 66,776 | $156,960 #1/6 | $553,571 #3/6 | 25.1 min #5/6 |
| Columbia, MD | 105,363 | $131,934 | $426,735 | 23.8 min |
| Ilchester, MD | 28,356 | $151,912 | $1,113,086 | 23.1 min |
| Woodlawn, MD | 40,959 | $84,232 | $713,699 | 23.9 min |
| Catonsville, MD | 43,371 | $114,422 | $380,953 | 22.4 min |
| Milford Mill, MD | 30,831 | $70,509 | $335,900 | 31.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ellicott City, Maryland.
How big is Ellicott City, Maryland by population?
About 66,776 people live in Ellicott City, Maryland, in 23,698 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Ellicott City, Maryland mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ellicott City, Maryland has 2,216 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 26 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ellicott City, Maryland?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($553,571 against $156,960), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,044 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Ellicott City, Maryland?
Unemployment in Ellicott City, Maryland is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Ellicott City, Maryland?
64.3% of adults in Ellicott City, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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