Rents are 4% below what Elkridge's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,379 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Elkridge usually run 1.6% below trend in December and 1.4% above it in July, about $71 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Elkridge is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2018.
Rent in Elkridge changed +5.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 81 Maryland cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Elkridge rose 25.8% while median household income rose 39.8% ($100,068 to $139,913). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Elkridge is 34.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($139,913) is $3,498 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($3,260); a 4-bedroom is $3,640.
Halethorpe, 4 miles away, rents for 37% less ($1,487/mo), about $10,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Elkridge. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Elkridge, MD is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 58.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Elkridge, MD has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Elkridge, MD paid around $1,869 a month. That figure now sits near $2,379, up 27.3% from the 2021 baseline. Median household income climbed from $119,856 to $139,913 between 2021 and 2024, a 16.7% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Elkridge, MD adding about 2,168 residents over the five-year window, up 9.0% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 54% to 58.9% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Elkridge, MD reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $2,379/mo, how Elkridge rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Elkridge rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Elkridge. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Elkridge
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Elkridge is $2,379/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,810/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,530/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,070/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,260/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($139,913/yr), Elkridge ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,379/mo, rent takes ~20% of Elkridge's median household income ($139,913/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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