What is the rental vacancy rate in Ellicott City, MD?

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

The rental vacancy rate in Ellicott City, MD is 3.9% (±2.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.1% (±0.2 points).

726 (±272) homes, 2.6% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Ellicott City, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 3.9% in 2020–2024 (−4.4 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 3.9% (±2.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.1% (±0.2 points)
Vacant homes: 726 (±272)

Vacancy in Ellicott City against Howard County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Ellicott City	Howard County	Maryland	United States
Rental vacancy rate	3.9% (±2.5 points)	5.3% (±1.4 points)	4.7% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.1% (±0.2 points)	0.3% (±0.2 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	726 (±272)	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 Ellicott City, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Howard County (5.3%).

It is not measurably different from Maryland (4.7%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Ellicott City

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Ellicott City
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Ellicott City	—	3.9% (±2.5 points)	—
Catonsville	5.0 mi	1.3% (±1.1 points)	Not measurably different
Woodlawn (Baltimore County)	5.0 mi	1.5% (±1.6 points)	Not measurably different
Columbia	5.4 mi	8.3% (±2.6 points)	Higher
Ilchester	5.7 mi	2.9% (±3.3 points)	Not measurably different
Milford Mill	6.0 mi	5.5% (±2.6 points)	Not measurably different
Randallstown	6.8 mi	2.4% (±2.2 points)	Not measurably different
Elkridge	7.5 mi	2.3% (±2.2 points)	Not measurably different
Lochearn	7.5 mi	2.4% (±1.2 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Columbia, MD (8.3%).

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)
6 (tie)	Scaggsville	0.0% (±15.6 points)

Ellicott City 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 Ellicott City

Is it hard to find a rental in Ellicott City?

The rental vacancy rate in Ellicott City, MD is 3.9% (±2.5 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 Ellicott City tighter than it was?

In Ellicott City, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 3.9% in 2020–2024 (−4.4 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How many homes are vacant in Ellicott City?

An estimated 726 (±272) housing units, 2.6% 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 Ellicott City CDP, Maryland (place:26000, 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.