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City · 10,585 residents · Harford County, Maryland

Bel Air , Maryland

In Bel Air, a typical home is worth $318,400 and typical rent is $1,492 a month. Compared with all of Harford County, typical household income is 34% lower, the typical home value is 18% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 20 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $318,400

    18% below the county

    24% below Maryland

    • Bel Air
    • Harford
    • Maryland

  • Typical rent

    $1,492a month

    6% below the county

    12% below Maryland

    • Bel Air
    • Harford
    • Maryland

  • Typical household income

    $74,605a year

    34% below the county

    28% below Maryland

    • Bel Air
    • Harford
    • Maryland

  • Households that own their home

    59%

    20 points below the county

    8 points below Maryland

    • Bel Air
    • Harford
    • Maryland

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$456,999
0.9% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,085 a month
3.9% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Bel Air is in Harford County. The FHA loan limit ($747,500 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Harford County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Bel Air apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 59% of households in Bel Air own their home, against 80% in Harford County.

  2. The typical household income in Bel Air is $74,605, 34% less than in Harford County as a whole ($112,265).

  3. Nearby, in Riverside, the typical home value is $246,100: 23% less than in Bel Air ($318,400).

  4. The typical home in Bel Air is worth $318,400, 18% less than in Harford County as a whole ($386,400).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Bel Air

What homes there are in Bel Air, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Bel Air, the apartment is the most common kind of home: 40%, against 14% in Harford County.

Year built

Homes in Bel Air are older: the typical year built is 1978; in Harford County, 1986.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,937 a month

Harford County: $2,165 a month

Without a mortgage

$705 a month

Harford County: $694 a month

Owners with a mortgage

60%

Harford County: 69%

In Bel Air, 60% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,937 a month, against $2,165 in Harford County. Without one it drops to $705.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, home values in Bel Air rose at about the same pace as in Harford County: 30% against 32%.

The typical rent in Bel Air rose 17% over the same time; in Harford County, it rose 26%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureBel AirHarford CountyMarylandUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.6%4.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.4%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.0%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.062.572.572.53
Drive alone 82%75%65%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%2%3%
Work from home 10%15%19%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate30 to 39 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Fewer people live in each home here: 2.06 on average, against 2.57 in Harford County.

To get to work, 82% of workers in Bel Air drive alone; in Harford County, 75%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Bel Air?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Bel Air, worth $318,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 43% of the typical household income in Bel Air, which is $74,605 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $114,541 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Harford County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Bel Air. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $11,144 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,673

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$312,633
Total interest
$449,806
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $5,377 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,741 a month

  • Tight

    $1,741 to $2,238 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,238 a month

    Your payment · 43%

Compared with the typical household income in Bel Air ($74,605 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,673
Principal & interest$2,118
Property tax$281
Home insurance$133
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$141

You need at least $11,144 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Bel Air and Harford County

Bel Air is in Harford County, Maryland. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Bel Air's own numbers

Typical home value
$318,400
Typical monthly rent
$1,492
Typical yearly household income
$74,605
Households that own their home
59%
Effective property tax rate
1.06%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Harford County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$747,500
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,006
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+44%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.6%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Harford County.

Everything about Harford County

Buying

Buying a home in Bel Air

A typical home in Bel Air is worth $318,400: 18% below the county and 24% below Maryland. With the typical household income in Bel Air ($74,605 a year), a typical home costs 4.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Bel Air 4.3 years
  • Harford 3.4 years
  • Maryland 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Harford County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Harford County rose 65% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Harford County.

Period County Maryland U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.7% +2.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +44% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +65% +60% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Bel Air next to Harford County, Maryland and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Bel Air $318,400
  • Harford $386,400
  • Maryland $419,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Bel Air $1,492
  • Harford $1,586
  • Maryland $1,705
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Bel Air $74,605
  • Harford $112,265
  • Maryland $103,678
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Bel Air next to Harford County and Maryland
Measure Bel Air Harford County Maryland U.S.
Typical home value $318,400 $386,400 $419,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,492 $1,586 $1,705 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $74,605 $112,265 $103,678 $80,734
Households that own their home 59% 80% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,365 $3,448 $4,093 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.06% 0.89% 0.97% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 61% 49% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Harford County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Bel Air

For a typical $318,400 home in Bel Air, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Bel Air's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,673a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $11,144
    Cash to close
    $20,696
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $141

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,614a month

    Down payment
    $15,920
    Cash to close
    $25,472
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $151

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,139a month

    Down payment
    $63,680
    Cash to close
    $73,232
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,434a month

    Down payment
    $47,760
    Cash to close
    $57,312
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Bel Air and for Harford County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Bel Air

1.06%of the home’s value each year

$3,365 a year for the typical owner in Bel Air.

  • Bel Air 1.06%
  • Harford 0.89%
  • Maryland 0.97%

What Maryland publishes Homestead tax credit (cap on yearly assessment increases) (Maryland General Assembly (Annotated Code of Maryland, Tax-Property Article))

Exemptions and deadlines in Maryland

Flood risk in Harford County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Harford County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.6%
584
Of those, with NFIP insurance
46%
County Maryland U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.6% 1.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 46% 74% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Bel Air

Typical rent in Bel Air is $1,492 a month: 6% below the county. In Bel Air, 61% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Harford County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,006 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $38.58 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Harford County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,523 $29.29 $60,920
1 bedroom $1,625 $31.25 $65,000
2 bedrooms $2,006 $38.58 $80,240
3 bedrooms $2,509 $48.25 $100,360
4 bedrooms $2,789 $53.63 $111,560

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Bel Air

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Bel Air is in ZIP code 21014.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,950: $56 less than the fair market rent for Harford County ($2,006).

  • 21014 $1,950$2,440

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Bel Air when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Bel Air

HUD lists 4 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Bel Air. These are the largest.

  • Harford Senior Housing 300 Sunflower Dr, Bel Air 21014 133 homes, 132 low-income · For older adults (410) 879-4450
  • Park View at Bel Air 555 S Atwood Rd, Bel Air 21014 101 homes, 99 low-income · In service since 2001
  • Harford Senior Housing II 300 Sunflower Dr, Bel Air 21014 21 low-income homes · For older adults (410) 879-4450
  • Homes at Fountain Green 1900 N Fountain Green Rd, Bel Air 21015 68 homes, 4 low-income (443) 259-4900

See all 30 buildings in Harford County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Bel Air

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Harford County; none says it serves in Spanish.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Bel Air

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Bel Air or Harford County. The ones below are statewide in Maryland: they work in Bel Air the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Maryland

  • MMP 1st Time Advantage

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers, with a deferred 0% second mortgage for the down payment: $6,000, or 3%, 4% or 5% of the loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • MMP Flex Loans

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before; Flex 6000 brings $6,000 and Flex 3% brings 3% of the loan for the down payment, as a deferred 0% second loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Maryland SmartBuy

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program loan of up to 15% of the price (maximum $25,000) to pay off your student debt when you buy a home; no interest or monthly payments, and forgiven after five years if you stay in the home. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Bel Air

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Bel Air, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Harford County, Maryland

    15 S Main St, Bel Air · 0 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (410) 638-3045

  • Harbel Housing Partnership ( A Division of Harbel Community Organization, Inc.)

    5807 Harford Rd, Baltimore · 17 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (410) 444-9152

  • Belair - Edison Neighborhoods, Inc.

    3545 Belair Rd, Baltimore · 19 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (410) 485-8422

Every agency in Harford County All counseling agencies in Maryland

Help in Spanish near Bel Air

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Bel Air

HUD’s record names them for Bel Air or Harford County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

One other authority has an office in Harford County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Harford County

These cities are also in Harford County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Harford County Housing in Maryland

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Bel Air, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Harford County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Bel Air.

All guides
A couple spread mulch under the avocado trees of their family orchard, he on the tractor and she with a shovel.

Questions

Housing questions about Bel Air

Short answers with the numbers for Bel Air and all of Harford County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Bel Air?

The typical home value in Bel Air is $318,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Harford County it is $386,400.

How much does it cost to rent in Bel Air?

Typical rent in Bel Air is $1,492 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Harford County is $2,006.

What is the FHA loan limit in Bel Air?

Bel Air uses the FHA limit for all of Harford County (2026): $747,500 for a one-unit home and $1,437,500 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Bel Air?

The typical homeowner in Bel Air pays $3,365 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.06% of the home’s value; in Harford County, the rate is 0.89%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Bel Air?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Harford County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).