What is the rental vacancy rate in Columbia, MD?

Name: Vacancy rate in Columbia, MD, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Columbia, MD is 8.3% (±2.6 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.6% (±0.4 points).

2,137 (±542) homes, 4.9% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Columbia, the rental vacancy rate went from 6.1% in 2015–2019 to 8.3% in 2020–2024 (+2.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 8.3% (±2.6 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.6% (±0.4 points)
Vacant homes: 2,137 (±542)

Vacancy in Columbia against Howard County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Columbia	Howard County	Maryland	United States
Rental vacancy rate	8.3% (±2.6 points)	5.3% (±1.4 points)	4.7% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.6% (±0.4 points)	0.3% (±0.2 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	2,137 (±542)	4,221 (±625)	197,856 (±3,980)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Columbia, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Howard County (5.3%).

It is also higher than in Maryland (4.7%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Columbia

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Columbia
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Columbia	—	8.3% (±2.6 points)	—
Savage	4.3 mi	0.0% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Fulton	4.4 mi	0.0% (±10.3 points)	Not measurably different
Scaggsville	4.4 mi	0.0% (±15.6 points)	Not measurably different
North Laurel	5.0 mi	3.5% (±3.5 points)	Lower
Ilchester	5.3 mi	2.9% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Ellicott City	5.4 mi	3.9% (±2.5 points)	Lower
Jessup	5.7 mi	0.0% (±5.9 points)	Lower
West Laurel	6.2 mi	24.4% (±34.7 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Savage, MD (0.0%), North Laurel, MD (3.5%), Ilchester, MD (2.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Howard County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Columbia	8.3% (±2.6 points)
2	Ellicott City	3.9% (±2.5 points)
3	North Laurel	3.5% (±3.5 points)
4	Ilchester	2.9% (±3.3 points)
5	Elkridge	2.3% (±2.2 points)
6 (tie)	Fulton	0.0% (±10.3 points)
6 (tie)	Savage	0.0% (±3.3 points)

Showing 7 of 8 places in Howard County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Columbia is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Columbia

Is it hard to find a rental in Columbia?

The rental vacancy rate in Columbia, MD is 8.3% (±2.6 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Columbia tighter than it was?

In Columbia, the rental vacancy rate went from 6.1% in 2015–2019 to 8.3% in 2020–2024 (+2.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Columbia?

An estimated 2,137 (±542) housing units, 4.9% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Columbia CDP, Maryland (place:19125, in state:24).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.