The Town FilesBel Air, Maryland
Town in Harford County · population 10,661 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $318,400
- Household income
- $74,605
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 26 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 42.6
Bel Air is a town of 10,661 people in Harford County, Maryland. The median home is worth $318,400, below the typical Maryland town ($412,300). It ranks better for cycling than 95% of Maryland towns, more vibrant than 91% of Maryland towns, hipper than 87% of Maryland towns.
How Bel Air ranks
Percentile among Maryland towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maryland towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Bel Air is worth $318,400, below the typical Maryland town ($412,300). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $74,605, which is more affordable than 31% of Maryland towns. Median rent is $1,492 a month. 59.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Bel Air | Typical Maryland town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $318,400 | $412,300 |
| Median rent | $1,492 | $1,748 |
| Median household income | $74,605 | $108,677 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.3× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 59.2% | 77.3% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Bel Air
| People | Bel Air | Typical Maryland town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.8% | 16.4% |
| Under 18 | 15.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.0% | 39.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.8% | 7.1% |
| Veterans | 6.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 11.2% | — |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 17.4% |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 31.4 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.9% | 94.3% |
Weather in Bel Air
July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 25.3°F. About 47.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 25.5 inches of snow (typical Maryland town: 15.9 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 83 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bel Air since 1950, compared with 18 for the typical Maryland town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 29, 1980 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 22, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 51 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 18, 1970.
Severe weather in Harford County since 1996
Harford County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3634: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4491: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3430: Covid-19 |
| March 4, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4261: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| November 20, 2012 | Hurricane | DR-4091: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Harford County
Harford County had 95,188 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $68,533 a year. Unemployment was 2% in 2023; in Bel Air itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Public schools in Bel Air
16 public schools with 12,846 students, about 14.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Air High | 9-12 | 1,419 | 16.1 |
| C. Milton Wright High | 9-12 | 1,302 | 16.3 |
| Southampton Middle | 6-8 | 1,194 | 15.3 |
| Bel Air Middle | 6-8 | 1,080 | 14.0 |
| Homestead/Wakefield Elementary | PK-5 | 1,057 | 17.0 |
| Harford Technical High | 9-12 | 983 | 16.4 |
| Patterson Mill High School | 9-12 | 826 | 16.2 |
| Patterson Mill Middle School | 6-8 | 767 | 15.7 |
| Red Pump Elementary School | K-5 | 753 | 15.4 |
| Hickory Elementary | K-5 | 664 | 15.8 |
| Prospect Mill Elementary | PK-5 | 592 | 14.4 |
| Emmorton Elementary | K-5 | 556 | 17.4 |
Towns near Bel Air
- Bel Air North, MD1.9 mi · 31,841 people · home $446,500
- Bel Air South, MD2.7 mi · 57,648 people · home $405,900
- Pleasant Hills, MD4.2 mi · 3,998 people · home $532,900
- Fallston, MD4.9 mi · 9,306 people · home $562,300
- Abingdon, MD6.3 mi · 4,826 people · home $366,200
- Riverside, MD6.7 mi · 7,021 people · home $246,100
- Kingsville, MD7.3 mi · 4,358 people · home $567,400
- Jarrettsville, MD8.1 mi · 2,888 people · home $476,800
Bel Air questions
Is Bel Air, Maryland a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bel Air scores better for retirees than 72% of Maryland towns and quieter than 43%. 21.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.6).
How much does a house cost in Bel Air?
The median owner-occupied home in Bel Air is valued at $318,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,605, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,492 a month.
What is the weather like in Bel Air?
July highs average 86.4°F and January lows 25.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.1 inches of precipitation a year and 25.5 inches of snow.
Does Bel Air get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bel Air since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 29, 1980. The typical Maryland town has had 18.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)