The county is home toColumbia, aplanned community between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. with a population of approximately 100,000, founded in 1967.
Howard County is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. Its estimated 2020 median household income of $124,042 (~$147,702 in 2024) makes it one of thewealthiest counties in the US.[2] Many of the most affluent communities in the area, such asClarksville,Dayton,Glenelg,Glenwood, andWest Friendship, are located along theRoute 32 corridor in Howard County. The main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City is regularly ranked inMoney magazine's Top 10 "Best Places to Live".[3][4][5] According to data from theU.S. Census Bureau, Howard County ranks fourth in the nation for educational attainment, with an estimated 63.6% of residents 25 and over holding a bachelor's degree or higher.[6][7][8] In 2022, theHoward County Public School System was ranked the best school district in Maryland.[9]
Prior to the European colonization of what is now Howard County in the 1600s, the area served as farming and hunting grounds for Indigenous peoples including thePiscataway andSusquehannock peoples.[13][14] TheMaryland Historical Trust has documented Indigenous sites along the Patapsco, Patuxent, Middle and Little Patuxent River valleys.[15] In 1652, theSusquehannock tribes signed a peace treaty with Maryland, giving up their provenance over the territory that is now Howard County.[16] In 1800, themean center of U.S. population as calculated by theUS Census Bureau was found in what is now Howard County.[17]
In 1838, Dr. William Watkins ofRichland Manor proposed the "Howard District" ofAnne Arundel County.[18] After several adjournments, the area of western Anne Arundel County was designated the Howard District in 1839.[19] The district had the same status as a county except that it was not separately represented in theMaryland General Assembly. In 1841, the county built its first courthouse in Ellicott City.[20] At the January 1851 constitutional convention,Thomas Beale Dorsey submitted a petition led by James Sykes. A committee was formed with Dorsey, Bowie, Smith, Harbine and Ricaud. After several postponements, the district was erected officially as Howard County on July 4, 1851, after the approval of the new constitution at the election held June 4, 1851.
The plantations of modern Howard County usedslave labor as early as 1690. At the time of theUnderground Railroad, some Howard County residents assisted slaves who were escaping to freedom. This was particularly risky, as many prominent plantation families wereConfederate sympathizers during theCivil War, contributing militiamen to the South to protect local interests.[21] Maryland was exempt from theEmancipation Proclamation, later abolishing slavery in the update of the Maryland Constitution in November 1864.[22]
On May 1, 1883, Howard County joined Anne Arundel County and Harford County in liquor prohibition.[23]
By 1899, Howard County contained 400 miles (640 km) of dirt and 48 miles (77 km) of stone roads, including three paid turnpikes maintained by 118 men. Most traffic consisted of loads delivered to rail crossings.[24] In 1909, County Commissioners Hess, Werner and O'Neil were charged with malfeasance regarding contract bids.[25]
In 1918, a deadlyflu pandemic swept the county starting with an early outbreak inCamp Meade in adjacent Anne Arundel County.[26][27] The 1930s saw a shift from one-room schoolhouses to centralized schools with bus service. By 1939 wheat harvesting fell to just 18,800 acres (7,600 ha).[28] In 1940, local newspaper ownerPaul Griffith Stromberg led a five-county commission to study a superhighway between Baltimore and Washington through Howard County.[29] TheFederal Aid Highway Act of 1956 eventually led to the construction ofInterstate 70 across northern Howard County andInterstate 95 across the eastern part of the county.[30] The sparsely populated county hosted population centers in Ellicott City, Elkridge, Savage, North Laurel and Lisbon with W.R. Grace andJohns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab as the largest new employers. Residents elected officials that campaigned to keep the county rural while planners prepared public works to support a quarter million residents by the year 2000. Race relations and desegregation became major issues of the time.[31]
From 1963 to 1966 theRouse Company bought 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land and rezoned it for the Columbia Development. In 1972, the Marriott company proposed to build a regional theme park on Rouse-owned land but was denied zoning.[32]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 253 square miles (660 km2), of which 251 square miles (650 km2) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) (1.0%) is water.[34] It is the second-smallest county in Maryland by land area and smallest by total area.
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace) was designated as the official flower of Howard County in 1984.[35]
Howard County is located in thePiedmont Plateau region of Maryland, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. It is bounded on the north and northeast by thePatapsco River, on the southwest by thePatuxent River, and on the southeast by a land border with Anne Arundel County. Both the Patapsco and Patuxent run largely through publicly accessible parkland along the county borders. The Patuxent border includes theTriadelphia andRocky Gorgereservoirs.
Howard County lies in thehumid subtropical climate zone. As one travels west in the county away from theBaltimore area, the winter temperatures get lower and winter snow is more common. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches (1,100 mm) throughout the county.[36] Over a 60-year period from 1950 to 2010, there were 394National Climatic Data Center reportable events causing 617 injuries, and 99 fatalities. There were 9 reported tornadoes, reaching a maximum of F2, with no recorded fatalities.[37]
For much of the 1800s and 1900s, Howard County was a predominantly white and mainly rural county with a small population. In 1950, the population was only 23,000. Since the 1950s, the county's population has increased tenfold and has diversified into amajority minority county. Almost half of Howard County's population identified as non-Hispanic and/or non-white by 2017. Much of the racial diversification of Howard County came after 1967, whenThe Rouse Company designed Columbia to be a planned community that included people from diverse socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. African-Americans have lived in Howard County for centuries, with the African-American population increasing greatly after the 1960s. Immigration from Asia, particularly Korea, India, and China, as well as Latin America, has also contributed to Howard County's diversity. While historically primarily Christian, Howard County now has sizableJewish,Muslim, and Hindu populations.[38] As of 2019, 18,700 Jewish people lived in the county, making up 5.8% of the total population. More than 6,000 non-Jewish people in the county have Jewish people in their households.[39] As of 2010, only 1% of Jews in the county wereOrthodox, while one-third each wereConservative andReform and one-quarter were secular or non-denominational. In the same year, one-quarter of the Jewish community were poor or financially insecure, 17% made less than $50,000 per year, and half made annual incomes of $100,000 or more.[40]
Howard County, Maryland – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 United States census, there were 328,200 people by June 1, 2020[47] The population density was 1,300 inhabitants per square mile (500/km2)
As of the2010 United States census, there were 287,085 people, 104,749 households, and 76,333 families residing in the county.[51] The population density was 1,144.9 inhabitants per square mile (442.0/km2). There were 109,282 housing units at an average density of 435.8 per square mile (168.3/km2).[52] The racial makeup of the county was 62.2% white, 17.5% Black or African American, 14.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population.[51] In terms of ancestry, 17.7% wereGerman, 13.9% wereIrish, 10.6% wereEnglish, 7.0% wereItalian, and 4.6% wereAmerican.[53]
Of the 104,749 households, 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.1% were non-families, and 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.72, and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 38.4 years.[51]
The median income for a household in the county was $103,273, and the median income for a family was $119,810. Males had a median income of $82,307 versus $59,128 for females. The per capita income for the county was $45,294. About 2.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.[54]
As of thecensus[55] of 2000, there were 247,842 people, 90,043 households, and 65,821 families residing in the county. The population density was 983 inhabitants per square mile (380/km2). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 368 per square mile (142/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.33% White, 14.42% Black, 0.24% Native American, 7.68% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.1% were of German, 11.0% Irish, 9.3% English, 6.6% Italian and 5.7% American ancestry.
There were 90,043 households, out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% weremarried couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $101,003, and the median income for a family was $117,186 in 2009. The per capita income was $44,120. About 2.70% of families and 4.00% of the population were below thepoverty line.
TheHoward County Public School System, theschool district for the entire county,[56] manages 71 schools and serves approximately 49,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district was 90.4% in 2009,[57] and the county's schools are ranked among the best in the state. Student test scores consistently top the list for all Maryland school districts.Reservoir High School is currently the largest school in the county with over 1,900 students.
In 2013Howard County Library System was selected as the Library of the Year byLibrary Journal[58] and cited by editor-at-large, John N. Berry, as "a 21st-century library model, with a position, doctrine, purpose, and curriculum worthy of study and consideration by every library in America, if not the world." In 2015 the Howard County Library System was designated the top Star Library in its class.[59]
Howard County has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 1992 on. In the2020 presidential election, Democratic Party candidateJoe Biden received the highest percentage of Howard County's votes of any presidential candidate in the history of the county.[60] The less populated western and northern parts of Howard County lean Republican. The more heavily populated southern and eastern parts are heavily Democratic.
Howard County has a record of acting as abellwether in state-wide elections since the late 20th century: Since at least the 1950s, Howard County has voted for the successful senatorial candidate in both Maryland'sClass I andClass III seats, and since 1998 the county has voted for the successful gubernatorial candidate, voting forRepublicanBob Ehrlich in the2002 gubernatorial election,DemocratMartin O'Malley in2006 and2010, RepublicanLarry Hogan in2014 and2018, and DemocratWes Moore in2022. Since 1984, the county has also voted for the state-wide presidential winner, a streak of 10 straight presidential elections.
At the state level of government, Howard County is represented by nine Democrats in theMaryland House of Delegates and three Democrats in theMaryland Senate. One Democratic state senator from the county represents a district that spills intoMontgomery County to the west, as do two Democratic state delegates. Another Democratic state senator represents a district that splits intoAnne Arundel County to the south-east, along with two Democratic state delegates.
From 1914 to 1968, Howard County was governed by a system of three elected commissioners with four-year terms.[61] Prior to 1962, the only polling location in the county was located in Ellicott City. In May 1962, voters were offered a second location to vote, also inEllicott City at the National Armory on Montgomery Road.[62] SenatorJames Clark Jr. proposed a five-person County Council and a County Executive in 1965.[63] In 1968, the county implemented acharter form of government.[64] In 1984 a councilmanic referendum was approved, switching council from at-large representation to district representation.[65] The County Council serves as the county's legislative branch; members also provide constituent service and sit as members of the Zoning Board and Liquor Board. The current Howard County Executive is DemocratCalvin Ball III, who was elected in November 2018 and took office on December 3, 2018.[66] The county is entirely withinMaryland's 3rd congressional district, represented by DemocratSarah Elfreth.
The County Council adopts ordinances and resolutions, and has all of the county's legislative powers. There are five council districts throughout the county.[69] The current County Council as of December 2022 includes 4 Democrats and 1 Republican.
Statistics for July 2014 indicate that Howard County's unemployment rate is at 5.2 percent (7,527 persons).[99]
Howard County Public School System employs 8,136 of which 4,670 are teachers.[100] The County Government employs 3,323 outside of the school system with 672 police, 482 public works, and 472 fire and rescue employees.[101] The top ten private sector employers in Howard County are as follows:[102]
"Best Place to Live",CNN/Money: Columbia (#1 in 2016); Ellicott City/Columbia (#6 in 2014;[106] #8 in 2012;[107] #2 in 2010;[108] #8 in 2008;[109] #4 in 2006.[110])
"Best Places to Live for Pet Lovers",CNN/Money: Ellicott City, one of 10 (2009).[111]
"Best Place to Raise a Family",Forbes: #17 (2008).[112]
^Seeking Freedom The History of the Underground Railroad in Howard County. p. 54.
^Moss, Paulina C; Levirn Hill; Howard County Center of African American Culture (2002).Seeking freedom : a history of the underground railroad in Howard County, Maryland. Columbia, MD: Howard County Center of African American Culture.OCLC50728274.
^"Prohibition in Maryland".Christian Advocate: 312. May 17, 1883.
^Maryland Geological Survey Report on the Highways of Maryland. 1899. p. 239.
^"Commissioners are Indicted".Times Dispatch. September 15, 1907.
^James A. Clark, Jr.Jim Clark Soldier Farmer Legislator. p. 11.
^Rasmussen, Frederick N. (October 3, 2012)."William E. 'Ned' Eakle, Howard County executive and administrator".The Baltimore Sun. Archived fromthe original on April 16, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2019.Nichols left office nine months early in 1986 ... the County Council chose Mr. Eakle to finish the former executive's term.
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