CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.51° N · 76.31° W · GEOID 2405950

Bel Air South

Harford County, Maryland · part of the Baltimore, MD metro

MarylandBel Air South, MDBel Air SouthBel Air South

The short answer

Bel Air South is home to 58,137 people. Median household income is $123,653 a year and median rent is $1,757 a month, 17.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $405,900, about 3.3x annual median household income.

Bel Air South stands out for what is close at hand. 40 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 98% of places its size. It is the highest of 199 Maryland places we track. Also notable: Household income growth is 6.3% a year, against 4.5% a year in its closest peers.

84OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Bel Air South scores better than 84% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 30th of 199 in Maryland.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%72
Economy 20%83
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%45
Education 10%78
Commute 10%20
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,757
29% above the median place
Median household income
$123,653
54% above the median place
Median home value
$405,900
27% above the median place
Unemployment
3.4%
31% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Bel Air South

  • AffordabilityAfter the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $100,900 a year, more than in 86% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
  • Housing82% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Bel Air South

Harford County gains about 2.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in11,183
Moved out10,674
Net+509

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Maryland, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MarylandOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$71K
Leavers$79K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Harford County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Harford County report $71,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $78,800, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$70,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,757 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,255 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $405,900.
Getting to work
31 minutes each way on average; 19.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Urbandale, IA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.6%
37% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.2%
39% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$78,758
12% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.6%37% below
Moved from another state11.2%39% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$71,4321% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$78,75812% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 17.1% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Bel Air South17.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$70,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.1%
16% below the median place
Home price to income
3.3x
14% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$101,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bel Air South, $1,757 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Bel Air South, but easier on the budget

Places that match Bel Air South on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Urbandale, IA9612.9% vs 17.1%$4,600Compare
Olathe, KS9413.8% vs 17.1%$3,900Compare
Papillion, NE9313.6% vs 17.1%$2,800Compare
Springboro, OH9212.1% vs 17.1%$7,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Bel Air South.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bel Air South? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
2.5%
65% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
40.8%
19% below the median place
Homeownership1
81.9%
23% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,75729% above
Rent to income117.1%16% below
Property tax rate10.9%5% below
Home price to income13.3x14% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure104.54% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,00624% above
HUD area median income4County figure$134,00025% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,4807% above
Median home value1$405,90027% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.7%15% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure44.1%14% below
Homeownership181.9%23% above
Renters paying 30%+140.8%19% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,25520% above
Vacant homes12.5%65% below
Median year built119911% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 3.9%, 64% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
3.9%
64% below the median place
Median household income1
$123,653
54% above the median place
Unemployment1
3.4%
31% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$55,975 +40%
Mean commute31 min +22%
Works from home19.2% +54%
Commutes by transit0.4% −54%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$123,65354% above
Income per person1$55,97540% above
Unemployment13.4%31% below
Average annual pay6County figure$68,6994% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure0.2%95% below
Jobs6County figure96,10536% below
Poverty rate13.9%64% below
Mean commute131 min22% above
Works from home119.2%54% above
Commutes by transit10.4%54% below
04

Who lives here

3.9% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 97% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

No health insurance1
2.5%
61% below the median place
High school or higher1
96.5%
4% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
49.4%
54% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband95.0% +3%
Born abroad7.0% −21%
Household size2.6 +4%
Median age38.5 −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population158,137743rd largest
Median age138.51% below
Bachelor's or higher149.4%54% above
High school or higher196.5%4% above
Household size12.64% above
Born abroad17.0%21% below
No health insurance12.5%61% below
Homes with broadband195.0%3% above
05

Life in Bel Air South

The nearest National Park Service site is Hampton National Historic Site, about 16 miles away.

80 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.0 −61%
Playgrounds per 10k28.0 3.0×
Grocery stores per 10k1.6 −27%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.8 −21%
Libraries per 10k0.3 −61%
Named paths and bike trails21 km 10.4×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.7 17.5×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Hampton National Historic Site 16 miles
  • Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine 22 miles
  • Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail 22 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.9 −24%
Shops25.1 −17%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.7 −10%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.5 −8%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
15.9
48% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
15.9
24% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
25.1
17% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure55above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure37,771above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure14.46% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure15.924% below
Shops per 10k8County figure25.117% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.710% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.58% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k94.061% below
Playgrounds per 10k928.0198% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.627% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k98.821% below
Libraries per 10k90.361% below
Named paths and bike trails920.9above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi93.7above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1015.948% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1040above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure80above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 19.0, 69% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Bel Air South. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
19.0
69% below the median place
Tornado risk14
35.7
56% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
72.5
22% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBel Air SouthAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure87°F0% above
January average low13County figure24°F4% below
Average temperature13County figure55°F0% above
Annual precipitation13County figure46.8 in7% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure72.522% below
Hurricane risk14County figure81.616% above
Tornado risk14County figure35.756% below
Wildfire risk14County figure19.069% below
Heat wave risk14County figure90.91% above
Median air quality index15County figure422% below
Good air days15County figure75.5%10% above
08

Bel Air South in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Bel Air South does better than 71% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 32%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,757/mo (2024)$2,270/mo$1,860 to $2,760/mo+4.4%
Median household income$123,653 (2024)$157,500$133,000 to $186,500+4.1%
Median home value$405,900 (2024)$575,000$417,000 to $792,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 3.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Bel Air South

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
League City, TX$1,684$121,099Compare
Rosemount, MN$1,640$129,625Compare
Buda, TX$1,852$123,766Compare
Savage, MN$1,766$125,513Compare
Savage, MNBuda, TXRosemount, MNLeague City, TXBel Air South, MDBel Air SouthLeague CityRosemountBudaSavageBel Air SouthLeague CityRosemountBudaSavage

Places built like Bel Air South

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Bel Air South performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Bel Air South, MD17.1%6.3%/yrn/a
Winter Springs, FL24.2%5.2%/yr3.2%Compare
Pasadena, MD22.1%6.1%/yrn/aCompare
Eldersburg, MD14.3%3.4%/yrn/aCompare
Bel Air North, MD14.2%5.0%/yrn/aCompare
Mechanicsville, VA21.0%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Waldorf, MD20.6%3.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Bel Air South a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 84 out of 100, better than 84% of the places we rate and 30th of 199 in Maryland. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $100,900 a year, more than in 86% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. 82% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 94 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bel Air South expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $405,900.

What salary do you need to live in Bel Air South?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $70,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Bel Air South?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are League City, TX, Rosemount, MN, Buda, TX and Savage, MN.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Bel Air South with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bel Air South itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bel-air-south-maryland

Citytistics. “Bel Air South, Maryland.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bel-air-south-maryland/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.