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Buying a home in Bel Air, Maryland

The typical owner-occupied home in Bel Air is worth about $318,400, 24% below the Maryland median of $419,900 and 4% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,365 a year in property taxes, about 1.06% of their home's value, higher than the Maryland rate of 0.97%. The median household earns $74,605 a year, so the median home costs 4.3 times the median income (4.1 times for Maryland). 59% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 59% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Bel Air at a glance

Bel Air Maryland U.S.
Median home value $318,400 $419,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,365 $4,093 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.06% 0.97% 0.94%
Median household income $74,605 $103,678 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 59% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 59% 71% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,937 $2,347 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.0% 20.5% 21.0%
Median rent $1,492 $1,705 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.1% 30.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1978 1979 1980
Vacant homes 4.3% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 10,585 6,206,011 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Bel Air

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Bel Air home of $318,400 with 20% down costs about $2,127 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,658, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $91,176 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 34% of the median Bel Air household income of $74,605; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $261,000.

The median rent here is $1,492 a month, so owning the median home costs about $635 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$63,680
Loan amount$254,720
Principal and interest$1,714
Property taxes (1.06% a year)$281
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$133
PMI$0
Total per month$2,127

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,144
Loan amount$312,633
Principal and interest$2,103
Property taxes (1.06% a year)$281
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$133
FHA mortgage insurance$141
Total per month$2,658

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Questions about home buying in Bel Air

What is the median home value in Bel Air?

About $318,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Bel Air?

Homeowners pay a median $3,365 a year, which is about 1.06% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Bel Air?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,127 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $91,176 a year.

More about Bel Air

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data