Essex, MD housing market
The typical Essex home is worth about $292,000, about the same as a year ago, 32% below the Maryland typical home. Homes typically sell in 36 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Essex compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Essex at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.7 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Essex | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $189,000 | $290,000 |
| 2018 | $199,000 | $301,000 |
| 2019 | $206,000 | $310,000 |
| 2020 | $216,000 | $322,000 |
| 2021 | $237,000 | $349,000 |
| 2022 | $263,000 | $384,000 |
| 2023 | $271,000 | $398,000 |
| 2024 | $279,000 | $412,000 |
| 2025 | $291,000 | $427,000 |
| 2026 | $293,000 | $429,000 |
| August 2026 | $292,000 | $428,000 |
Essex and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | $292K | +0.5% | $1,770 | $67,168 |
| Middle River | $335K | +0.5% | $1,860 | $78,398 |
| Rosedale | $316K | +0.7% | $1,770 | $85,711 |
| Dundalk | $222K | −1.5% | $1,840 | $64,520 |
| Bowleys Quarters | — | +6.4%† | $1,870 | $99,534 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
4.3 years of income
The typical Essex home costs about 4.3 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Maryland (4.1).
How Essex ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,770
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Essex is $1,770 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Essex pay a median of $1,319, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 32% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $1,270 · 4 bedrooms $2,550
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (21221; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.