Auto · County · Maryland
Gas stations in Howard County, MD
How Howard County, MD compares with other counties and the U.S. for gas stations: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 82 out of 100: High
Ranked #106 of 2,358 scored counties
#6 of 24 scored counties in Maryland
- Listings
- 78
- 67 chain locations (86%)
- Official establishments
- 57
- −10.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $366.9M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $3,031 a household
- Spending per listing
- $4.7M
- 97% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.4
- 41% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 339,183
- +1.9% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Howard County
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Howard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Howard County scores 82 (high) on the Groundwork market score for gas stations, ranking #106 of 2,358 scored counties and #6 of 24 scored counties in Maryland. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for gas stations.
As of September 2026, map listings count 78 gas stations in Howard County. Of those, 67 are chain locations, or 86%, against 84% across the U.S. That comes to 6.4 for every 10,000 households, 41% below the U.S. rate of 10.9.
At $3,031 per household (17% above the U.S. average), households in Howard County spend about $366.9M a year on gasoline and other fuels. That works out to $4.7M per station, 97% above the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in Howard County was 57 in 2023, down 10.9% from 2019. That is one for every 2,124 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Howard County grew 1.9%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Howard County compares
The same measures for Maryland and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Howard County | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.4 | 7.6 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $4.7M | $3.6M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 2,124 | 1,702 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −10.9% | −5.5% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.9% | +1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $3,031 | $2,770 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $149,763 | $103,678 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 82 | 73 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 64 → 57−10.9% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 393
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $12.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 7867 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 154The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Howard County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Howard County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 339,183+1.9% since 2020
- Households
- 121,065
- Median age
- 40.7
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 251 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 1,340
- Median household income
- $149,763+23.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $184,243
- Median home value
- $597,900
- Jobs located here
- 185,575
- Daytime population
- 363,145Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Howard County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Howard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across Maryland
Every Maryland market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Maryland for gas stations, numbered among those based in Maryland, with Howard County marked.
Top counties in Maryland
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Charles County, MD | 94 | 35 | 5.7 | $5.9M | +5.9% | #6 of 2,358 |
| 2Frederick County, MD | 93 | 71 | 6.8 | $4.7M | +11.0% | #10 of 2,358 |
| 3Carroll County, MD | 88 | 43 | 6.7 | $5.1M | +2.2% | #46 of 2,358 |
| 4Calvert County, MD | 87 | 21 | 6.3 | $5.9M | +1.7% | #51 of 2,358 |
| 5St. Mary’s County, MD | 84 | 31 | 7.3 | $4.5M | +2.4% | #83 of 2,358 |
| 6Howard County, MD | 82 | 78 | 6.4 | $4.7M | +1.9% | #106 of 2,358 |
| 7Harford County, MD | 82 | 69 | 6.8 | $4.6M | +2.0% | #107 of 2,358 |
| 8Anne Arundel County, MD | 80 | 185 | 8.2 | $3.7M | +1.7% | #147 of 2,358 |
| 9Cecil County, MD | 80 | 43 | 10.6 | $3M | +3.2% | #152 of 2,358 |
| 10Queen Anne’s County, MD | 78 | 23 | 11.6 | $3M | +8.8% | #196 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Howard County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Howard County, MD?
Howard County has 78 gas stations on map listings as of September 2026. 67 of them (86%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 57 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 10.9% from 2019. Official counts also show 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Howard County, MD spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $366.9M a year, or $3,031 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 78 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $4.7M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 121,065 households in Howard County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Howard County, MD compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Howard County has 6.4 gas stations per 10,000 households, 41% below the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $4.7M, 97% above the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the national ratio of gas stations to household spending, Howard County would have about 154, against 78 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,124 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 10.9% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Howard County, MD growing?
Population estimates put Howard County at 339,183 people in 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 121,065 households. The median household income in Howard County is $149,763 a year, 86% above the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 23.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Howard County scores 82 for gas stations (high), #106 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Howard County. It maps the gas stations on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in Howard County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Howard County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Howard County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.