Primary sources for Columbia, MD
- Census Bureau profile of Columbia, MD, ACS data
- EIA-861 utility data for Columbia, MD, prices
- DOE LEAD tool for Columbia, MD, energy burden
- NOAA storms and FEMA flood claims for Columbia, MD
Electricity rates in Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, MD ranks 6th of 41 Maryland cities for the share of homes heated by electricity (55%). Columbia, Maryland has 105,871 residents in 41,218 households; 55.1% heat with electricity.
Columbia is a census-designated place, a Census Bureau statistical area and not an incorporated city; the figures describe Columbia as the Bureau draws it.
Households in Columbia, MD can pick a supplier. See how to compare suppliers.
Columbia on the map
Howard County, with Columbia marked
Who supplies Columbia
Howard County lists 2 utilities for Columbia, MD, a city of 105,871: no plan prices, and retail supplier plans are not in public data; which listed utility delivers to your street depends on the address. Howard County page.
Cost of living with electricity in Columbia
Columbia, MD: 41,218 households at $1,533 a year per home for electricity (Howard County average, DOE LEAD) come to about $63.2 million, an estimate; all home energy is $2,285 a year per household.
| Group in Columbia, MD | Households | Power per home | Power bill of the group | Share of Columbia, MD median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD, all households | 41,218 | $1,533 | $63.2 million | 1.19% |
| Columbia, MD, homeowners | 26,760 | $1,763 | $47.2 million | 1.36% |
| Columbia, MD, renters | 14,458 | $940 | $13.6 million | 0.73% |
Facts about Columbia
- Residents of Columbia, MD, ACS 2023
- 105,8711 of 41 Maryland cities with 30,000+
- Median household income in Columbia, MD
- $129,17310 of 41 of those cities
- Households in Columbia, MD
- 41,2182.57 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Columbia, MD
- 64.9%26,760 owners and 14,458 renter households
- Housing units in Columbia, MD
- 43,3442,126 vacant or seasonal
- Homes heated by electricity in Columbia, MD
- 55.1%22,699 of 41,218 homes
- Land area of Columbia, MD
- 31.9 sq mi3,315.3 people per sq mi
- Bill as share of income in Columbia, MD
- 1.5%at 929 kWh a month over the $129,173 median household income
- Wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of Columbia, MD
- 454NWS point reports 2015 to 2025, 428.8 per 100,000 residents
- Median year homes were built in Columbia, MD
- 198318,371 of 43,344 homes (42.4%) before 1980
- Median home value and rent in Columbia, MD
- $480,300$1,998 gross rent a month, 4.99% of value a year
Electricity price since 2015 around Columbia
Columbia has no price series of its own. Columbia: the Maryland average was 13.82 ¢/kWh in 2015. Columbia: 17.86 ¢ in 2024, 29% up. Columbia: against 30% up for the U.S. average.
Columbia: a 929 kWh month at the Maryland price. Columbia: $128 in 2015, $166 in 2024. Columbia: $1,991 a year, 1.5% of the $129,173 median income.
Columbia: 10 yearly prices
| Year | Maryland average | Columbia: Gap to U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| 2015, Columbia | 13.82 | +1.17 |
| 2016, Columbia | 14.23 | +1.68 |
| 2017, Columbia | 13.96 | +1.07 |
| 2018, Columbia | 13.30 | +0.43 |
| 2019, Columbia | 13.12 | +0.11 |
| 2020, Columbia | 13.01 | -0.14 |
| 2021, Columbia | 13.12 | -0.54 |
| 2022, Columbia | 14.46 | -0.58 |
| 2023, Columbia | 16.60 | +0.60 |
| 2024, Columbia | 17.86 | +1.38 |
Columbia, MD: EIA-861 home prices, 2015 to 2024, not a Columbia, MD price.
CSVBill and heat pump calculator, Columbia
Compare Columbia with nearby cities
| City near Columbia, MD | Distance from Columbia | Residents | Median income | Median year built | Median home value | Storm reports within 15 miles | Work from home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD (this page) | 0 mi | 105,871 | $129,173 | 1983 | $480,300 | 454 | 22.3% |
| Ellicott City, MD | 5.4 mi north | 73,737 (-32,134) | $157,891 (+$28,718) | 1991 (+8 yr) | $644,300 (+$164,000) | 469 (+15) | 23.4% (+1.0 pts) |
| Catonsville, MD | 7.7 mi northeast | 42,717 (-63,154) | $110,051 (-$19,122) | 1964 (-19 yr) | $405,800 (-$74,500) | 461 (+7) | 19.0% (-3.3 pts) |
| Woodlawn, MD | 9.4 mi northeast | 40,476 (-65,395) | $78,591 (-$50,582) | 1969 (-14 yr) | $269,800 (-$210,500) | 471 (+17) | 14.7% (-7.7 pts) |
| Severn, MD | 9.9 mi southeast | 58,041 (-47,830) | $130,627 (+$1,454) | 1997 (+14 yr) | $465,600 (-$14,700) | 457 (+3) | 15.5% (-6.8 pts) |
| Milford Mill, MD | 11.2 mi northeast | 31,939 (-73,932) | $76,676 (-$52,497) | 1977 (-6 yr) | $269,900 (-$210,400) | 461 (+7) | 10.6% (-11.8 pts) |
Housing and heating in Columbia
Columbia, MD: 18,371 of 43,344 homes were built before 1980 and 5,874 in 2000 or later. Columbia, MD has 17,174 detached houses, 14,037 homes in 5+ unit buildings and 102 mobile homes.
Age of homes in Columbia, MD
% of homes by decade built, Columbia, MD
- 1pre-40
- 040s
- 250s
- 860s
- 3270s
- 2880s
- 1690s
- 700s
- 610s
- 020+
Heating fuel in Columbia, MD
| Columbia, MD | Value | County | Gap | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD, median year built | 1983 | 1989 | -6 years | 15 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, built before 1980 | 42.4% | 29.6% | +12.8 points | 27 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, built 2000 or later | 13.6% | 28.1% | -14.5 points | 30 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, detached houses | 39.6% | 50.5% | -10.9 points | 24 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 32.4% | 24.5% | +7.9 points | 14 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, mobile homes | 0.2% | 1.0% | -0.7 points | 20 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, renter households | 35.1% | 28.3% | +6.8 points | 21 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, median home value | $480,300 | $576,700 | -$96,400 | 13 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, median gross rent a month | $1,998 | $2,038 | -$40 | 13 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, people per household | 2.55 | 2.76 | -0.21 | 25 of 41 |
Who lives in Columbia: income, cars, homes
In Columbia, MD, 6,206 of 14,000 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent; 13,824 households moved in since 2018 and 8,886 before 2000, so electric accounts turn over at a moderate pace. Of 56,550 workers in Columbia, MD, 12,629 work from home, 37,464 drive alone, 1,629 ride transit and 892 walk. In Columbia, MD, 2,493 households own no vehicle and 24,743 own two or more; home EV charging depends on that. In Columbia, MD, 4,682 of 41,218 households earn under $35,000, 5,563 $35,000-$75,000, 13,421 $75,000-$150,000 and 17,552 $150,000 or more. Columbia, MD homes: 28,629 have 3+ bedrooms, 5,765 none or one, median 6.4 rooms. 7,847 residents of Columbia, MD live below the poverty line, and the median age is 39.1.
Household income in Columbia, MD
| Columbia, MD | Value | Rank in Maryland (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD, households under $35,000 | 11.4% | 26 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, households $150,000 or more | 42.6% | 10 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, residents below poverty | 7.4% | 23 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, median age | 39.1 | 17 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, homes with 3+ bedrooms | 66.1% | 17 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, households without a vehicle | 6.0% | 26 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, households with 2+ vehicles | 60.0% | 15 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, workers at home | 22.3% | 10 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, cost-burdened renters | 44.3% | 35 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, moved in since 2018 | 33.5% | 22 of 41 |
| Columbia, MD, moved in before 2000 | 21.6% | 15 of 41 |
Outage risk around Columbia
Columbia, MD, NWS reports within 15 miles of the center, 2015 to 2025: 442 wind and 12 tornado, 428.8 per 100,000 residents of 105,871. Top gust near Columbia, MD: 80 knots, 92 mph. Damage near Columbia, MD: $23.5M.
Reports within 15 miles of Columbia, MD
wind and tornado reports, Columbia, MD
- 31'15
- 46'16
- 46'17
- 19'18
- 59'19
- 71'20
- 62'21
- 31'22
- 39'23
- 20'24
- 30'25
| Columbia, MD | Wind | Tornado | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD, 2015 | 29 | 2 | 31 |
| Columbia, MD, 2016 | 46 | 0 | 46 |
| Columbia, MD, 2017 | 45 | 1 | 46 |
| Columbia, MD, 2018 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Columbia, MD, 2019 | 57 | 2 | 59 |
| Columbia, MD, 2020 | 71 | 0 | 71 |
| Columbia, MD, 2021 | 61 | 1 | 62 |
| Columbia, MD, 2022 | 30 | 1 | 31 |
| Columbia, MD, 2023 | 39 | 0 | 39 |
| Columbia, MD, 2024 | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| Columbia, MD, 2025 | 28 | 2 | 30 |
Climate and electric heating around Columbia
Columbia is in Howard County, MD. Columbia: degree days are county values.
Columbia: 4,735 heating degree days a year. Columbia: 1,029 cooling degree days a year.
| Columbia | County value |
|---|---|
| Columbia, heating degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 4,735 |
| Columbia, heating degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 4,390 |
| Columbia, cooling degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 1,029 |
| Columbia, cooling degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 1,139 |
| Columbia, homes heated with electricity, ACS 2019-2023 | 49.1% |
Columbia: NOAA nClimDiv 7 Oct 2026; ACS B25040.
Analyst note on Columbia
Columbia, MD counts 105,871 residents in 41,218 households, on 31.9 square miles. Household income in Columbia, MD is $129,173; 26,760 of its 41,218 households own. 22,699 of the 41,218 occupied homes in Columbia, MD heat with electricity.
Columbia, MD has 43,344 housing units, 2,126 of them vacant or seasonal. Columbia, MD ranks 7th of 41 Maryland cities for the fewest cost-burdened renters (44.3%). Columbia, MD ranks 10th of 41 Maryland cities for median household income ($129,173).
Columbia, MD ranks 10th of 41 Maryland cities for people working from home (22.3% of workers).
ZIP codes in Columbia
| ZIP area touching Columbia, MD | Share of the ZIP's land inside Columbia | Share of Columbia's land in the ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 21044 (Columbia, MD) | 94.7% | 35.2% |
| 21045 (Columbia, MD) | 99.2% | 30.1% |
| 21046 (Columbia, MD) | 100.0% | 24.5% |
| 21029 (Columbia, MD) | 16.2% | 8.6% |
Census 2020 ZCTA to place land-area overlap. Look up any ZIP.
Maryland: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Columbia
Columbia: what is the electricity rate?
No single rate in Columbia, MD: Maryland households pick a supplier and plan, and Howard County lists 2 utilities.
Columbia: how does it rank among Maryland cities?
Columbia, MD: rank 1 of 41 by its 105,871 residents, rank 10 of 41 by $129,173 median income.
Columbia: how many homes heat with electricity?
Columbia, MD: 22,699 of 41,218 occupied homes, 55.1%; Howard County 49.1%.
Columbia: how much income goes to electricity?
At 929 kWh a month, 1.5% of the $129,173 median income in Columbia, MD.
Columbia: can I choose a supplier?
In most of Maryland yes; municipal and co-op areas around Columbia, MD may be closed.
Columbia: damaging storms reported nearby?
454 NWS wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of the center of Columbia, MD, 2015 to 2025, 428.8 per 100,000 residents.
How old are the homes in Columbia?
Columbia, MD: median home built 1983; 18,371 of 43,344 homes (42.4%) predate 1980, 17,174 are detached and 14,037 sit in buildings of 5+ units.
How many Columbia, MD renters struggle with rent?
6,206 of 14,000 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent.
How many people in Columbia, MD work from home?
12,629 of 56,550 workers.
How many Columbia, MD households have no car?
2,493 households; 24,743 have two or more.