Howard County, MD Distress Report: Foreclosure, Tax Liens & ZIPs (2026)
Where is distress concentrating in Howard County, Maryland? DLRadar grades every Howard County ZIP 0-100 from foreclosure, tax-lien, mortgage and insurance records, peaking at 27/100. Here is the 2026 Howard County breakdown.
- Howard County's most distressed ZIP is 20723 at 27/100.
- 25 ZIP codes tracked in Howard County, averaging 26/100 distress.
- Howard County reads peak — home values up 2.2% year over year.
- Vacancy runs 2.6% across Howard County's tracked ZIPs, with a 4.7% poverty rate.
- The typical Howard County home is worth about $689,817 against a ~$150,753 median income.
- Lending headwind in Howard County sits at 39/100 — a forward read on distressed supply.
Data drawn from the DLRadar distress index, recomputed monthly from public filings. Cite with attribution to DLRadar (dlradar.com).
| Rank | ZIP | Composite distress |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20723 | 27/100 |
| 2 | 20759 | 27/100 |
| 3 | 20763 | 27/100 |
| 4 | 20777 | 27/100 |
| 5 | 20794 | 27/100 |
| 6 | 21029 | 27/100 |
| 7 | 21036 | 27/100 |
| 8 | 21042 | 27/100 |
| 9 | 21043 | 27/100 |
| 10 | 21044 | 27/100 |
| 11 | 21045 | 27/100 |
| 12 | 21046 | 27/100 |
Most distressed ZIP codes in Howard County (composite distress 0-100, 2026)
What is driving Howard County distress
Howard County's placement in the national index rests on public filings — a 26/100 average across its ZIPs. DLRadar reads FHFA price trajectory, CFPB mortgage delinquency, recorder-level foreclosure and tax-lien activity, FEMA/NFIP loss history and Census ACS demographics.
Howard County market phase and pricing
Howard County reads peak — home prices rose 2.2% over the last year. When prices ease, days-on-market stretch out, surfacing more motivated sellers.
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Questions and answers
What is the hardest-hit ZIP in Howard County?
ZIP 20723 leads Howard County at 27/100, recomputed monthly from public records.
Which phase does Howard County sit in right now?
Howard County reads peak, with home prices up 2.2% year over year. Phase comes from FHFA House Price Index trajectory.
How is the Howard County data sourced?
Every Howard County figure traces to a public source — FHFA House Price Index for the peak trajectory, CFPB mortgage performance, county recorder filings, FEMA/NFIP and Census ACS. The same deterministic model scores all 25 Howard County ZIP codes that it runs on every other U.S. county, so Howard County's numbers are directly comparable to any other market.
How much do distress scores vary between Howard County ZIP codes?
The county figure is a blend, not a description. Across the Howard County ZIPs DLRadar ranks, scores run from 27/100 in 20723 down to 27/100 in 21046, against a Howard County average of 26/100. That 0-point gap is why acquisition targeting in Howard County works at ZIP level rather than county level.
What do Howard County home values and vacancy say about distressed supply?
The typical Howard County home carries about $689,817 of value against a median household income near $150,753. Vacancy across Howard County's tracked ZIPs runs 2.6% and the poverty rate is 4.7%. Vacancy and strained affordability are the conditions that make arrears become supply, read here against Howard County's foreclosure and tax-lien filings and its 39/100 lending headwind.
Related
This is a deterministic read of public filings, not advice of any kind — investment, legal or financial. The underlying index updates each month.