HOUSING FACTS
Maryland Housing Facts
Maryland’s housing shortage, and the solutions to it, are well documented.
Maryland Housing Needs Assessment
DHCD/National Center for Smart Growth, July 2025
Full Report
- Maryland will need approximately 590,186 new units to accommodate projected household growth through 2045.
- Maryland needs to add 29,503 new housing units per year (71% more annually than the current rate of 17,293 units per year).
- Maryland’s cities and towns have the most restrictive land use practices in the DC-MD-VA region.
- Maryland currently has an oversupply of land zoned for low-density development and an undersupply of land zoned for higher-density development.
- In the year 2000, close to 75% of households in Maryland could afford the median home. By 2022, that share had dropped to only 49%.
Maryland Housing Profile
- In Maryland, only 35 rental homes are affordable and available for every 100 extremely low-income households.
- Maryland needs to make 129,000 more homes affordable for extremely low-income households by expanding access to rental assistance and building deeply affordable rental homes.
- A minimum wage worker would need to work: 82 hours/week or 2.1 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment, and 98 hours/week or 2.4 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment.
Maryland State of Housing Poll
American Strategies, January 2025
Summary | Full Report
- Housing affordability was the #1 issue facing Maryland residents in 2025.
- 84% say the cost to buy a home in their part of Maryland is too high.
- 75% say there is too little housing for younger people just starting in their careers.
- 67% say there is too little housing for people with lower incomes.
- 66% say there is too little housing for people with moderate incomes.
- 64% say there is too little housing for older people who are looking to downsize.