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COMMUNITIES
Howard County
RESIDENTS
Howard County has been one of Maryland’s fastest-growing regions of late, increasing its
population by 34 percent over the past decade. Population is projected to grow by nearly 10
percent, to 327,635 by 2035, according to the Howard County Department of Planning and
Zoning. Currently, the County’s citizens are the wealthiest in Maryland and among the most
affluent in the nation.
Howard County, with approximately 300,000 residents, is about community. From Columbia,
the pioneering community developed by Jim Rouse in the 1960s, to historic townships such as
Ellicott City and charming rural areas such as Clarksville, you can find it all in Howard County.
building each neighborhood
around a village center
imbues Columbia with the
atmosphere of a small town.
Yet the city has amenities that
a small town can’t match,
such as downtown offices,
a major shopping mall,
extensive recreational facilities
and a large concert venue.
ELKRIDGE
In 1688, Elkridge was a
bustling port on the Patapsco
River. Today the river is
buffered by a state park with
miles of hiking and horseback
trails. Main Street in Elkridge
is lined with row houses and
small businesses, and is a
peaceful place – in spite of
its proximity to Route 1, the
nation’s first highway. The
town of approximately 16,000
residents maintains its charm
with its neighborhoods of
Victorian homes and strong
sense of community.
ELLICOTT CITY
The Ellicotts, three Quaker
brothers from Pennsylvania,
founded Ellicott City, the
seat of the present county
government, as a mill town
CLARKSVILLE/
HIGHLAND
With approximately
17,000 residents, you’ll
find two distinctly different
communities here. Highland’s
farms and horse pastures
lend a rural feel to the region,
while Clarksville is the site of
River Hill, Columbia’s final
village center, and is home to
a thriving business community
of car dealerships, banks and
a garden center among other
shops, as well as a new fire
station. The area is dotted
with large homes, but farmers
still till many of the fields.
COLUMBIA
Developed in 1967 on 21
square miles of farmland,
Columbia has grown to a
town of more than 98,000
residents in 10 villages.
Developer Jim Rouse’s
vision included racial
and cultural diversity and
environmentally conscious
development. His idea of
DEMOGRAPHIC
OVERVIEW
(Estimated)
Population
304,580
Households
104,905
Persons
Per Household
2.72
Median House-
hold Income
$107,821
Per Capita
Income
$47,662
SOURCE: UNITED STATES CENSUS
BUREAU