Anne Arundel County, MD

Zillow ZORI—the typical observed asking-rent index—puts the selected direct-evidence records in a wide monthly range: $1,548 to $2,677, a $1,129 spread. Its $2,399 selected-set median is only slightly above the county ZORI of $2,370, but that central comparison masks considerable variation across the direct-evidence records. The decision question is therefore not whether the county figure is a quoted lease price; it is which current asking-rent band fits a household’s budget after the actual unit’s bedroom count, lease term, utilities and fees are known. The range endpoints provide a budget screen, while the median is a reference point, not a countywide inventory estimate or a promise of available listings.

The measures answer different questions and should remain separate. ACS five-year ZCTA median gross rents range from $1,335 to $2,428; they are survey estimates rather than current Zillow asking-rent readings. HUD’s bedroom-specific two-bedroom FMR is $1,857, an administrative standard rather than an observed asking rent. At ZIP 21226, the direct ZORI is $1,548, or 83.4% of that HUD figure; at ZIP 21012, it is $2,677, or 144.2%. These ratios show numerical distance from the HUD benchmark, not eligibility, a price ceiling, or a conversion between sources. A renter can use a current ZORI budget screen, the separate ACS survey context, and a HUD program-standard comparison without treating them as interchangeable evidence.

Affordability and vacancy offer a second, imperfect screen. Across the shown records, ACS vacancy rates run from 2.2% to 10.1%, while the share of renter households meeting the supplied rent-burden threshold runs from 36.3% to 55.7%. ZIP 20724 pairs the highest burden share, 55.7%, with a 2.8% vacancy rate; ZIP 21114 pairs the lowest burden share, 36.3%, with 3.3% vacancy. This contrast discourages a simple ranking: vacancy is not proof that a suitable listing is currently available, and burden is not a measure of the asking rent on a specific unit. Use both as ACS context for household trade-offs, alongside income, budget, and observed listings, rather than as causal evidence.

Coverage and assignment temper every ZIP comparison. The selection contains 12 of 14 eligible direct-ZORI ZIP/ZCTA matches and covers 45,691 renter households, so it is not a complete county inventory. ZCTAs are statistical areas rather than USPS delivery ZIPs, and ZIPs crossing county lines are assigned here by the largest HUD residential-address share. Included cross-county records have county address shares of 54.7% and 81.5%, reinforcing that a label does not ensure all addresses fall in Anne Arundel County. Before acting on any range or benchmark, verify the address and county, advertised rent, unit bedroom count, utility treatment, fees, concessions, lease duration, qualification rules, and current availability at the individual property.