Residential comparison · 13 facts
Catonsville, MD vs Columbia, MD
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Catonsville needs about $89,500 in Columbia to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Columbia, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $80,500 in Catonsville.
A few differences
- Columbia is higher on median household income ($131,490 vs $114,109).
- Catonsville is lower on cost of living index (111 vs 121).
- Catonsville is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,757/mo vs $2,129/mo).
Catonsville vs Columbia · facet by facet
| Facet | Catonsville, MD | Columbia, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $416,900 | $497,400 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,757/mo | $2,129/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.05% | 1.05% |
| State & local income tax | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| Sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 111 | 121 |
| Groceries index | 105 | 105 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $114,109 | $131,490 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.2/10 | 6.2/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days | 213 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Catonsville, MD · Columbia, MD
Questions & answers
- Is Catonsville cheaper than Columbia?
- Catonsville has the lower day-to-day cost index (111 vs 121 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Columbia equals $85,000 in Catonsville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Catonsville needs about $89,500 in Columbia to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Columbia lifestyle costs about $80,500 in Catonsville.