Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop · Photo: FlugKerl2 · CC BY-SA 3.01,105 homes sold in Columbia in the last year, at a typical $506K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Columbia homes are listed.
Every place Columbia homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Columbia.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
17% of Columbia’s sales are condos, at $410K less than a house
499 houses and 183 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 499 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $268MD $239
- Days to sell
- 22
- Sold over asking
- 54%
- Listings with a price cut
- 32%
typical sale · 183 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $243MD $234
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 26%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Townhouses: 423 sold, typical $443K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
1,105 sales in the last year, against 1,784 in 2021 and a low of 1,071 in 2024. The typical sale went from $316K in 2016 to $506K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $500K buys in Columbia
Check a listing against what Columbia homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Columbia are more common than before the pandemic, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Columbia’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 1,105 sales.
If you’re buying in Columbia
- Shop in March. It brings about 161 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (39% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 29% of listings cut their price, against 36% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 101% of the list price on average; 48% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 59% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 178 a month), and the most competition: 44% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (39%). January has the least competition (30%) but only about 86 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than Maryland
| Columbia now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 48% | 24% | 58% | 34% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 59% | 39% | 74% | 41% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 29% | 36% | 23% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 101% | 99.1% | 102.6% | 99.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 25 | 26 | 10 | 43 |
141 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (66), 36% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 387.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
29% in the last year, against 36% in 2017–19 and 27% across Maryland.
Since 2019, houses are up 49%, condos 46%
A house typically sold for $665K in the last year (499 sales), a condo for $255K (183).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Columbia ranks 8th of 185 busy Maryland markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Columbia is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Columbia home costs about $3,156 a month
Price: Columbia’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Columbia’s 1.2% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Columbia is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 59.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $506K home, about $6,190 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Columbia, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ColumbiaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Columbia.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Columbia, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 1,105 | $506K | $252 | 48% | 25 |
| Ellicott City | 717 | $698K | $262 | 47% | 22 |
| Ilchester | 310 | $554K | $264 | 43% | 27 |
| North Laurel | 238 | $557K | $256 | 39% | 33 |
| Scaggsville | 83 | $676K | $271 | 49% | 32 |
| Fulton | 81 | $1M | $281 | 43% | 25 |
| Savage | 61 | $483K | $260 | 44% | 43 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Columbia, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Columbia. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Columbia with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Columbia
What do homes sell for in Columbia, MD?
1,105 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $506K, $252 a square foot. Houses sold for about $665K, condos for about $255K.
Is Columbia a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 148 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 121 sold, about 1.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 101% of asking on average, and 29% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Columbia?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Columbia?
About 1.2% of a home’s value a year. On a $506K home that’s near $6,190.
Where can I see homes for sale in Columbia?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Columbia’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Columbia.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).