Greater Baltimore

Fast Facts:

Greater Baltimore was home to 2,859,024 people and had 1,212,141 housing units in 2024. Since 2010, Greater Baltimore has added an average of 10,400 people and 5,600 housing units per year.
Thirty-three percent of households were renters and 52 percent of renters had unaffordable housing costs.
Greater Baltimore built 5,974 units in 2025; an estimated 8,178 units are needed annually to meet future housing demand. Cumulatively, Greater Baltimore has produced at least 21,464 units since 2022, short of its 4-year target of 32,712.
Greater Baltimore includes the cities of Annapolis and Baltimore, and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne's in Maryland. The cities of Annapolis and Baltimore, and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard share housing outcomes data for the HIT.

Sources: Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates, Decennial Census, American Community Survey (2020-24), and the HIT survey of local jurisdictions.

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Policy Status

Solving the region's affordable housing crisis requires a portfolio of policies to preserve existing affordable housing, produce more housing, and protect people from discrimination and displacement.

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Right of First Refusal

Adopted: The City of Baltimore
Adopted: Howard County

Preservation Inventory - Subsidized

Adopted: Baltimore County
Adopted: Anne Arundel County
Adopted: City of Annapolis

Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized

Rental Assistance Demonstration

Adopted: The City of Baltimore
Adopted: Anne Arundel County
Adopted: City of Annapolis
Adopted: Howard County

Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners

Adopted: The City of Baltimore
Adopted: Baltimore County
Adopted: Anne Arundel County
Adopted: Howard County

Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing

Adopted: The City of Baltimore
Adopted: Baltimore County
Adopted: Anne Arundel County
Adopted: Howard County

Housing Outcomes

Local jurisdictions submitted data to enable the region to track housing production, preservation, and rental affordability.

Amount of Housing

Number of units built by type

Multifamily

Single-family

Note: The City of Baltimore did not report total units built in 2023.

Affordability of Housing

Share of units affordable to households with low incomes

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Note: The City of Baltimore did not report total units built in 2023.

Housing Cost: Lowest

Units built affordable to households with incomes 0-29.9% of area median

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Housing Cost: Low

Units built affordable to households with incomes 30-49.9% of area median

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Housing Cost: Low-Middle

Units built affordable to households with incomes 50-79.9% of area median

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Building Permits for New Construction

Number of units permitted by type

Multifamily

Single-family

Affordable Housing in Development

Number of units

In the pipeline

Under construction

Affordable Housing Preservation

Number of units preserved as committed affordable by type

Units with existing subsidies

Units previously unsubsidized

Structural Racism

Discriminatory actions and racist public policies have produced inequitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the Washington region, including lower incomes and wealth, lower homeownership rates, and higher rates of housing cost burden.

Income

Average household income by race and ethnicity, 2020-24

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race

White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homeownership

Homeownership rate by race and ethnicity, 2020-24

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race

White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations by race and ethnicity, 2024

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous or Multiple race

White

Note: Categories are mutually exclusive, borrowers identifying as Hispanic are not also represented in a race category. For mortgages with an applicant and a co-applicant, if they identify the same way they are captured in that category, otherwise if they have different identities they would be included in the Indigenous or Multiple race category.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Credit Denials

Ratio of denial rates for mortgages between white borrowers and borrowers of color, 2024

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

Note: If White borrowers and borrowers of Color were denied mortgages at the same rate we would expect to see a ratio equal to 1. Values under 1 indicate that borrowers of Color have higher denial rates than White borrowers.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Rental Housing Cost Burden

Renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in rent, 2020-24

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race

White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white. Households paying more than 30 percent of their monthly income in housing costs are considered to be cost burdened.

Source: American Community Survey

Owner Housing Cost Burden

Owner households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in housing costs, 2020-24

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race

White

Source: American Community Survey

Housing Context

Understanding how household incomes relate to the supply of affordable rental and homeownership units will inform jurisdictions' efforts to meet the current and future housing needs of residents.

Household Income

Distribution of households by income level relative to the area median income, 2020-24

Below 30%

30-49.9%

50-79.9%

80-119.9%

120-199.9%

200% and above

Note: Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2024.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Change in Household Income

Change in households by income level relative to the area median income, 2008-12 to 2020-24

Below 30%

30-49.9%

50-79.9%

80-119.9%

120-199.9%

200% and above

Note: Incomes are in 2024 dollars. Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2024.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Renter Housing Supply by Cost

Renter housing units by monthly housing cost, 2020-24

$0-$899

$900-$1,499

$1,500-$2,299

$2,300-$2,799

$2,800-$3,299

$3,300 and higher

Note: Rental costs include the contractual monthly rent payment plus any additional costs to the tenant for utilities and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Change in Renter Housing Supply by Cost

Change in renter housing units by monthly housing cost, 2008-12 to 2020-24

$0-$899

$900-$1,499

$1,500-$2,299

$2,300-$2,799

$2,800-$3,299

$3,300 and higher

Note: Costs are in 2024 dollars. Rental costs include the contractual monthly rent payment plus any additional costs to the tenant for utilities and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Housing Cost Burden

Renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in rent, 2020-24

Note: Households paying more than 30 percent of their monthly income in housing costs are considered to be cost burdened.

Source: American Community Survey

Deeply Affordable Units

Estimated number of public housing units and vouchers relative to renter households with incomes below 30% of area median, 2020-24

Note: Estimated number of units and vouchers is for 2025. Vouchers include federally-funded Housing Choice Vouchers and locally-funded vouchers where information was available. Income is for 2020-24 and based on the 2024 HUD Income Limits by family size.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS); HUD Picture of Subsidized Households 2024; and HUD HCVP Power BI Dashboard

Need for Accessible Units

Number of households with one or more people with a disability by income level relative to the area median, 2020-24

Below 30%

30-49.9%

50-79.9%

80-119.9%

120-199.9%

200% and above

Note: Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2024. People with a disability includes those with cognitive disabilities, physical or self-care disabilities, ambulatory disabilities, independent living difficulties, vision disabilities, or hearing disabilities.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Homeowner Housing Supply by Cost

Owner housing units by monthly housing cost for a first-time homebuyer, 2020-24

$0-$1,499

$1,500-$2,299

$2,300-$2,799

$2,800-$3,299

$3,300-$3,799

$3,800 and higher

Note: Costs for owner housing were calculated as the monthly payment for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for 90 percent of the market value to the unit, along with estimates of other monthly costs including mortgage insurance, taxes, utilities, and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Affordable Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations to households with moderate incomes and below, 2024

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

0-80% of area median

80-120% of area median income

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Potential Homebuyers

Number of potential homebuyers with low or moderate incomes by race and ethnicity, 2020-24

For renter households with a head of household age 45 years or younger and incomes between 50-120% of AMI

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic/Latinx

Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race

White

Note: Categories are mutually exclusive, borrowers identifying as Hispanic are not also represented in a race category. Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2024. Renter households with a head of household under age 22 were excluded.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)