Highest Credit Rating Given To Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials announced Tuesday that Howard County earned the highest possible credit rating, AAA, from all three bond rating agencies – Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s.

For 2026, Howard County again ranks among the top two percent of counties nationwide to earn the ranking.

"While federal impacts and tough fiscal realities and uncertainties continue to loom across our great state and country, Howard County stands as the ‘Gateway to opportunity’ having once again earned a AAA bond rating from all three credit rating agencies this week. From our expanding international opportunities, booming local economy and spurring new job growth, the state of Howard County remains strong thanks to the strategic decisions we continue to make to secure our present and future," said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

After evaluating financial criteria including economy/tax base, finances, management and debt/pensions, each agency issued a report that highlights Howard County’s strengths.

Fitch cited, “Howard County's financial resilience is driven by the combination of its ‘high’ revenue control assessment and ‘midrange’ expenditure control assessment, culminating in a ‘high midrange’ budgetary flexibility assessment.”

Moody’s highlighted, “The stable outlook reflects the likelihood that the county's financial position will remain healthy, supported by steady revenue growth and strong management.”

Standard & Poor’s noted, “The county is a desirable, affluent community, with a very strong economy supported by a well-educated population, wealthy property tax base, high household incomes and direct access to the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). In our opinion, these factors, along with surplus financial operations and comprehensive financial management policies and practices have allowed the county to weather economic downturns, experience good tax base and revenue growth, and underpin the ‘AAA’ rating.”