Property tax in Howard County, Maryland
In Howard County, the property tax bill comes from the Howard County Department of Finance. The Tax Year 2026 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due December 31, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Howard County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Howard County, Maryland is $6,987 a year, which is about 1.17% of the county's median home value of $597,900. That effective rate is higher than the typical Maryland county (0.9%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Who sends the property tax bill in Howard County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Howard County Department of Finance. The value it is based on is set by a state agency, the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Howard County assessment office, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
Maryland's SDAT, not the county, values every property and hears the first appeal; the Howard County Department of Finance sends the bill and collects it. The bill carries county and state property tax, the fire tax, and county fees such as trash, watershed protection and the state Bay Restoration fee. The Columbia Association assessment is a separate bill from a private nonprofit, not a county tax. The county takes one half of one percent off the county property tax when it is paid in July. Online and phone payments go through the county's processor, MuniciPay, which charges $1.00 for an e-check and 2.35% (at least $2.00) for a card; in person, cards cost 2.45% (at least $2.00), or $3.95 for a Visa debit card. Mailed payments with the bill coupon go to PO Box 781305, Philadelphia, PA 19178-1305. Escrowed owners who want to pay annually must tell their lender before May 1.
When are property taxes due in Howard County?
For the Tax Year 2026 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) bill, Howard County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due September 30, 2026 and the last December 31, 2026. The next one due is the second semi-annual installment, on December 31, 2026. Annual bills and first installments become delinquent October 1, and second installments January 1. Delinquent taxes carry interest and penalty of 1.5% a month on county taxes and fees and 1% a month on state taxes, figured on the bill after credits. Bills still delinquent on March 1 get a final legal notice, more penalties are added April 1 (after which payment must be cash, certified check or credit card), and unpaid taxes lead to the sale of the tax lien at the county's tax sale.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Annual bill, or first semi-annual installment | September 30, 2026 (passed) | Owners living in the home as their principal residence are billed on the semi-annual schedule unless they pay the whole year by September 30. The first installment is half of the county, state, fire and other ad valorem levies plus the full front foot, Bay Restoration, watershed protection and trash fees. Howard County charges no service charge for paying semi-annually. Payment must be received by the due date; a postmark does not count. September 30, 2026 is a Wednesday. |
| Second semi-annual installment | December 31, 2026 | Applies only to bills on the semi-annual schedule. December 31, 2026 is a Thursday. |
From Howard County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Howard County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Howard County's average effective rate of 1.17% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $6,995 / year
Property tax in Howard County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $6,987 |
| Median home value | $597,900 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.17% |
| Typical Maryland county rate | 0.9% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Howard County compare in Maryland?
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Howard County has the 2nd highest effective property-tax rate: 1 rank higher and 22 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 772nd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Maryland county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Howard County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Howard County's 86,533 owner-occupied homes, 90.8% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 94.1% pay at least $2,000, and 1.3% pay under $800. Another 2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,111 | 1.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,165 | 1.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,041 | 1.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 2,862 | 3.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 78,608 | 90.8% |
| No property tax paid | 1,746 | 2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $6,967 and owners without one pay $7,039. That is within 10% either way, so in Howard County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Howard County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $6,987 is about 3.8% of the median income of Howard County homeowner households, $182,570 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 71.5% of Howard County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Howard County?
Yes. The median bill went from $5,817 in 2015-2019 to $6,987 in 2020-2024, a 20.1% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 31.2%, from $455,700 to $597,900. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Howard County
Howard County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, MD (this county) | 1.17% | $6,987 | $597,900 |
| Prince George's County, MD | 1.12% | $4,771 | $426,000 |
| Baltimore County, MD | 1.07% | $3,736 | $349,300 |
| Frederick County, MD | 0.99% | $4,584 | $464,600 |
| Carroll County, MD | 0.91% | $3,934 | $434,000 |
| Montgomery County, MD | 0.87% | $5,539 | $640,300 |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 0.85% | $3,957 | $467,900 |
How is a home assessed in Howard County?
Maryland assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Howard County included. How Maryland assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Howard County?
Not as an exemption. Maryland's Homestead Tax Credit caps how much your taxable assessment can rise each year: 10% for the state portion, and a cap each county and municipality sets between 0% and 10% for its own. That is the Maryland rule, and it applies in Howard County. Maryland's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Maryland programs, Howard County runs its own:
- Senior Tax Credit: For owners at least 65 by June 30, 2026 living in the home as their principal residence, with 2025 household income no more than $108,200 and household net worth no more than $827,200, the credit is 25% of the net county property tax; it cannot be combined with Aging in Place, and it must be applied for again each year. Apply by October 1, 2026.
- Aging in Place Tax Credit: For owners 65 or older by June 30, 2026 who have owned and lived in the home for 30 years or more, the credit is 20% of the net county property tax on up to $650,000 of assessed value; versions also exist for retirees 65 or older with 20 years of active military service and for service members with a 75% to 99% service-connected disability. It cannot be combined with the Senior Tax Credit, and after the first approval a yearly statement of eligibility keeps it for up to 10 years in total. Apply by October 1, 2026.
- Trash, Bay and Watershed Protection Fee Hardship Exemption: For owners who own and live in the home as of July 1, 2026 with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level ($54,100 for a household of two), it removes 60% of the trash and watershed protection fees and 100% of the Bay fee. Senior Tax Credit recipients who meet the income limit get it automatically; everyone else files a paper application, again each year. Apply by October 1, 2026.
- Real Property Tax Deferral: Owners 65 or older by June 30, 2026, or permanently and totally disabled, who have lived in the home as their principal residence for at least five years with household income at or below $75,000, can defer the part of this year's county tax that is above what they paid last year, with no interest. A lien is recorded until the deferred tax is paid, which is due when the home is sold, stops being the principal residence, goes to tax sale, or the owner does not reapply; it must be applied for each year. Apply by September 1, 2026.
How to appeal your Howard County property assessment
In Howard County you appeal to the Maryland SDAT, Supervisor of Assessments for Howard County. The deadline: Within 45 days of the date on the assessment notice. A buyer whose purchase transferred after January 1 and before July 1 may appeal within 60 days of the transfer. In a year with no new notice, an owner may file a petition for review by the first working day after January 1. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Maryland's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Maryland rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Maryland page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Howard County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Maryland income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Maryland actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Howard County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Howard County, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.