Housing decision brief
Garrett County, MD Housing Market
Garrett County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
3rd lowest home value out of 24 Maryland counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 24
Median home value
$217,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$710/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$874/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.1x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
23.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$164/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$217,000 median home value is 39% below Maryland county median
Lower rent
$710/mo is 48% below Maryland county median
Rent burden below pressure line
23.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 84.0 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$69,031 median income is 24% below Maryland county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is D. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Garrett County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $217,000 | $357,700 | $281,900 | 39% favorable39% below Maryland county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $710 | $1,369 | $1,163 | 48% favorable48% below Maryland county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $874 | $1,595 | $1,672 | 45% favorable45% below Maryland county median |
Median household income | $69,031 | $91,025 | $74,755 | 24% pressure24% below Maryland county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.83% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 17% favorable17% below Maryland county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 23.00% | 30.00% | N/A | 23% favorable23.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$40,631
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$31,574
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Garrett County is affordable. The median rent is $710/month against a median household income of $69,031, putting rent at 12.3% of income.
Rent vs own
At $710/month rent versus $874/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $164/month cheaper , a 19% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $28,400/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $37,457/year. With a median household income of $69,031, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 23.0% of renter households in Garrett County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Garrett County sits 10% less expensive than Allegany County ($786/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig County, VA | $210,500 | $728/mo | Out-of-state peer near $210,500 home value and $728/mo rent. |
| Lincoln County, NV | $208,900 | $754/mo | Out-of-state peer near $208,900 home value and $754/mo rent. |
| Webster County, MO | $219,100 | $777/mo | Out-of-state peer near $219,100 home value and $777/mo rent. |
| Wayne County, NE | $203,700 | $732/mo | Out-of-state peer near $203,700 home value and $732/mo rent. |
| East Feliciana Parish, LA | $213,700 | $745/mo | Out-of-state peer near $213,700 home value and $745/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Garrett County
Is Garrett County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Garrett County?
How much income do you need for housing in Garrett County?
What should I double-check before moving to Garrett County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.