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City · 31,712 residents · Baltimore County, Maryland

Middle River , Maryland

In Middle River, a typical home is worth $271,700 and typical rent is $1,636 a month. Compared with all of Baltimore County, the typical home value is 22% lower and typical household income is 15% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $271,700

    22% below the county

    35% below Maryland

    • Middle River
    • Baltimore
    • Maryland

  • Typical rent

    $1,636a month

    About the same as the county

    4% below Maryland

    • Middle River
    • Baltimore
    • Maryland

  • Typical household income

    $78,398a year

    15% below the county

    24% below Maryland

    • Middle River
    • Baltimore
    • Maryland

  • Households that own their home

    66%

    About the same as the county

    1 points below Maryland

    • Middle River
    • Baltimore
    • Maryland

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$331,638
about the same as 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,708 a month
0.7% less than 12 months ago

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

Middle River is in Baltimore 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 Baltimore County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Middle River apart

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

  1. Nearby, in Essex, the typical rent is $1,319: 19% less than in Middle River ($1,636).

  2. The typical home in Middle River is worth $271,700, 22% less than in Baltimore County as a whole ($349,300).

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

The homes here

Housing in Middle River

What homes there are in Middle River, 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 Middle River there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are detached houses (41%); in Baltimore County, 47%.

Mobile homes are 10% of homes in Middle River, more than in Baltimore County (1%).

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 1982 or later; in Baltimore County, from 1973 or later.

Much as in Baltimore County, 60% of homes in Middle River have 3 bedrooms or more.

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

By price, most homes in Middle River sit under the FHA limit for Baltimore County ($747,500): about 96%.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,921 a month

Baltimore County: $2,049 a month

Without a mortgage

$591 a month

Baltimore County: $703 a month

Owners with a mortgage

67%

Baltimore County: 67%

In Middle River, 67% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,921 a month, against $2,049 in Baltimore County. Without one it drops to $591.

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

The boundaries of Middle River changed since 2015–2019, so the Census does not compare its figures from then and now. In Baltimore County, the typical home value rose 34%.

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

MeasureMiddle RiverBaltimore CountyMarylandUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate4.8%4.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.1%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.522.502.572.53
Drive alone 72%70%65%69%
Carpool 9%8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate3%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%2%3%
Work from home 14%17%19%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Baltimore County, a household in Middle River has 2.52 people on average.

In Middle River, 72% of workers drive alone to work; in Baltimore County, 70%.

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 Middle River?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Middle River, worth $271,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 35% of the typical household income in Middle River, which is $78,398 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $99,100 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Middle River. 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 $9,510 (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

$2,312

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$266,778
Total interest
$383,831
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,588 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,829 a month

  • Tight

    $1,829 to $2,352 a month

    Your payment · 35%

  • Hard

    more than $2,352 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Middle River ($78,398 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,312
Principal & interest$1,807
Property tax$272
Home insurance$113
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$120

You need at least $9,510 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

Middle River and Baltimore County

Middle River is in Baltimore 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).

Middle River's own numbers

Typical home value
$271,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,636
Typical yearly household income
$78,398
Households that own their home
66%
Effective property tax rate
1.2%

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

Numbers for all of Baltimore 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)
+39%

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 Baltimore County.

Everything about Baltimore County

Buying

Buying a home in Middle River

A typical home in Middle River is worth $271,700: 22% below the county and 35% below Maryland. With the typical household income in Middle River ($78,398 a year), a typical home costs 3.5 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.

  • Middle River 3.5 years
  • Baltimore 3.8 years
  • Maryland 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Baltimore County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Baltimore County rose 58% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County Maryland U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.9% +2.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +39% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +58% +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

Middle River next to Baltimore 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
  • Middle River $271,700
  • Baltimore $349,300
  • Maryland $419,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Middle River $1,636
  • Baltimore $1,627
  • Maryland $1,705
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Middle River $78,398
  • Baltimore $91,768
  • Maryland $103,678
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Middle River next to Baltimore County and Maryland
Measure Middle River Baltimore County Maryland U.S.
Typical home value $271,700 $349,300 $419,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,636 $1,627 $1,705 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $78,398 $91,768 $103,678 $80,734
Households that own their home 66% 66% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,249 $3,736 $4,093 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.2% 1.07% 0.97% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 62% 54% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Baltimore 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 Middle River

For a typical $271,700 home in Middle River, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Middle River's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,312a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $9,510
    Cash to close
    $17,661
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $120

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,263a month

    Down payment
    $13,585
    Cash to close
    $21,736
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $129

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,857a month

    Down payment
    $54,340
    Cash to close
    $62,491
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,109a month

    Down payment
    $40,755
    Cash to close
    $48,906
    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 Middle River and for Baltimore County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Middle River

1.2%of the home’s value each year

$3,249 a year for the typical owner in Middle River.

  • Middle River 1.2%
  • Baltimore 1.07%
  • 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 Baltimore County

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

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Baltimore County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Middle River

Typical rent in Middle River is $1,636 a month: about the same as the county. In Middle River, 62% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Baltimore 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 Baltimore 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 Middle River

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Middle River is in ZIP code 21220.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,040: $34 more than the fair market rent for Baltimore County ($2,006).

  • 21220 $2,040$2,550

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Middle River 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?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Middle River

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 are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Baltimore 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 Middle River

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Middle River or Baltimore County. The ones below are statewide in Maryland: they work in Middle River 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 Middle River

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

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

    5807 Harford Rd, Baltimore · 7 miles away

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

  • Belair - Edison Neighborhoods, Inc.

    3545 Belair Rd, Baltimore · 8 miles away

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

  • Southeast Community Development Corporation

    3323 Eastern Ave, Baltimore · 8 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 4 more
    (410) 342-3234

Every agency in Baltimore County All counseling agencies in Maryland

Help in Spanish near Middle River

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves 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 Middle River

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

All housing agencies in Maryland Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Baltimore County

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

Everything about Baltimore County Housing in Maryland
See 18 more cities in Baltimore County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Middle River, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Baltimore 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 Middle River.

All guides
A father smiles as he carries his baby on his shoulders outdoors.

Questions

Housing questions about Middle River

Short answers with the numbers for Middle River and all of Baltimore 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 Middle River?

The typical home value in Middle River is $271,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Baltimore County it is $349,300.

How much does it cost to rent in Middle River?

Typical rent in Middle River is $1,636 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Baltimore County is $2,006.

What is the FHA loan limit in Middle River?

Middle River uses the FHA limit for all of Baltimore 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 Middle River?

The typical homeowner in Middle River pays $3,249 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.2% of the home’s value; in Baltimore County, the rate is 1.07%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Middle River?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Baltimore 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).