Help shape the future of housing in Montgomery County.
Montgomery Planning launched a Housing Needs Assessment and a Housing Preferences Survey in 2026 to understand current and future housing needs and preferences. The Housing Needs Assessment analyzes measurable housing needs using existing data sources, while the Housing Preferences Survey gathers resident priorities through a countywide survey. Together, these efforts provide a clear, community-informed picture of housing conditions, challenges, and opportunities so that future housing decisions reflect both evidence and lived experience.
Housing affects affordability, opportunity, and quality of life. By pairing rigorous data analysis with statistically reliable community input, Montgomery Planning can better identify where housing needs are greatest, what residents prioritize, and which strategies can most effectively advance Thrive Montgomery 2050.
Work on the Assessment and the Survey is currently underway. Results are expected in early 2027.
Housing Needs Assessment
The Housing Needs Assessment is a data-driven project that analyzes Montgomery County’s population, available housing, and how well these options meet current and future needs. It assesses affordability, availability, and access for various households, highlighting gaps like shortages of affordable or mismatches in available housing and household needs. The assessment also includes long-range projections of housing demand through 2050. To do this, we use information from the U.S. Census, along with local data like property records, building permits, and other administrative sources.
Housing Preferences Survey
The Housing Preferences Survey is the first survey of its kind in Montgomery County, designed to collect feedback from a representative sample of residents about what they value most in their homes and neighborhoods. Conducted by an independent, third-party consultant, the survey uses a robust, statistically valid approach so results accurately reflect views from across the county.
Survey results will help Montgomery Planning understand the preferences and tradeoffs residents consider when making housing decisions, including:
- How preferences and constraints differ across communities and life stages
- Which housing types and sizes people prefer and why
- How households balance tradeoffs among cost, location, commute, schools, and amenities
- What features make neighborhoods feel accessible, connected, and livable
Project materials
Staff report presentation
Housing Needs Assessment Scope of Work
Housing Preferences Survey Scope of Work
Frequently asked questions
While we have good insights into the current state of housing in Montgomery County today, long-term planning requires up-to-date, detailed information rather than assumptions. These two studies will provide current data and on-the-ground insights so that decisions are based on verifiable facts. This work will better inform residents, policymakers, and planners as they consider everything from housing choices to development priorities and more.
At Montgomery Planning, we often conduct housing analyses as part of the master planning process for small and targeted master plan areas, but not at the countywide level. The HNA and HPS are comprehensive countywide initiatives that examine existing conditions and estimate future projections to guide the implementation of the housing goals outlined in Thrive Montgomery 2050.
The Housing Preferences Survey will gather a “representative” sample of county residents, meaning the people who respond reflect the county’s overall demographics, including age, race, and housing tenure. This helps ensure that the results accurately describe the entire population, and not just those who completed the survey.
There are several easy ways to complete the Housing Preferences Survey. You can:
- Visit the website listed in your invitation letter and enter the unique login ID provided
- Scan the QR code on the letter to open the survey directly on your mobile device
- Call the phone number included in your invitation letter to complete the survey by phone with a staff member
To ensure that a representative sample of Montgomery County residents are heard from, the Housing Preferences Survey uses a random sampling methodology to select which households are invited to participate. This means that every address in the county has an equal chance of being chosen, but only the randomly selected households receive a survey invitation.
If your input wasn’t requested for the survey, there are other ways to shape the county’s housing plans, including during the master planning process.
The Housing Preferences Survey is completely confidential, and we do not collect any personally identifiable information. Your responses are combined with those of other participants and analyzed only in aggregate, so no individual answers can be traced back to you. All data is stored securely and used solely for research purposes to help us understand countywide housing needs.
The survey is being conducted by Montgomery Planning in partnership with external research experts, Root Policy Research and Davis Research. Using outside specialists helps ensure that the survey follows best practices for sampling methods, data collection, and analysis.