Neighborhoods & Housing
Where the Living is Easy
Make yourself at home in one of many diverse, thriving and secure living communities in Howard County. Stretching from Cooksville in the east to Ellicott City and Elkridge in the west and down to Laurel in the south, the county’s geography accommodates an impressive range of living preferences. Whether you resonate with the vibrancy of city centers or the tranquility of unblemished natural farmland, Howard County caters to your personality and lifestyle.
Fast Facts
Best Place to Raise a Family (Columbia, MD)
Best Places to Live in the U.S. (Columbia, MD)
Median Home Listing Price
Education
Find top-ranked choices for education across Howard County neighborhoods, whether you’re looking for yourself or your little one.
The Upper Echelon of Living
Anyone seeking exceptional housing options and unbeatable neighborhoods will find endless possibilities in Howard County. Columbia, MD — the county’s largest city — masterfully balances a small-town ambiance with urban convenience consistently earning its place among the finest locales in the U.S. Here, you’ll find contemporary-style homes surrounded by charming boutique shopping districts and an array of amenities. Meanwhile, cities like Elkridge and Laurel present affordable starter homes with a touch of historic tradition. And if you’re ready to get away from it all, the unincorporated enclave of Clarksville proudly showcases its agricultural heritage while serving as a gateway to the semirural charm of Cooksville — also known as one of the east coast’s most affluent living communities.
Just Right for You
Looking for a taste of the abundant opportunities and lifestyle in Howard County? Cities like Columbia and Ellicott City offer townhomes, condos and apartments that get you right next to the county’s history, eclectic shopping and farm-fresh dining experiences. Whether you want to live minutes away from major centers like Baltimore or in a smaller, green neighborhood like North Laurel-Savage, you’ll find a place just for you in Howard County.
Easy Living for Everyone
While Central Maryland is known for its highly educated and affluent communities, Howard County also provides a considerable amount of affordable housing. The Howard County Department of Housing & Community Development plays an integral part in ensuring all families — including low-to-moderate income families — find suitable rental units or find their path to homeownership. Whether a family is looking for a low interest loan for a down payment, rental assistance or homebuyer education, Howard County makes signing for your next home-sweet-home much more obtainable, regardless of your income.
Featured News + Events
Building a More Connected Regional Economy
Howard County’s Role in a Connected Regional Economy We spend a lot of time talking with companies about why they should locate in Howard County, and those conversations have changed over the past several years. Increasingly, the questions we hear are regional: Where is the workforce? How close are the airports and ports? How quickly
SPARK Internship Program Connects Emerging Talent with Real-World Experience
Employers Told Us Where the Gaps Were. SPARK Worked Backwards From There. Ask a cybersecurity or AI company in Howard County what limits their growth, and talent comes up fast. Not a shortage of interested people but a shortage of people who arrive ready. Employers here have been direct about it. Candidates come out
Food Processor Connect Brings Industry Professionals Together at PastryStar
Food processors face many of the same questions as they grow: How can production become more efficient? How do you maintain consistency as you scale? What new products and processes are shaping the industry? On September 21, Food Processor Connect will bring food processing professionals together at PastryStar in Laurel for an afternoon of learning,