Awards and Recognition

Best Place to Live
Money Magazine - Ellicott City/Columbia - 2010
Ellicott City/Columbia together ranked #2 on Money Magazine’s list of “Best Places to Live in America. The magazine looked at communities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000 and ranked them based on quality of schools, fiscal strength, public safety, employment opportunities, housing, parks, diversity and community spirit.

Healthiest Maryland County
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the
University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute - 2010
Howard County was ranked the healthiest county in Maryland by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All Maryland counties were ranked on health outcomes and a series of health determinants (including, but not limited to, tobacco use, diet and exercise, access to and quality of care, education, employment and income, and air quality). Howard County was ranked the healthiest place to live in both Health Outcomes and Health Determinants categories.

Best American Values
Newsmax Magazine - 2009
Ellicott City in Howard County ranked 17th place in Newsmax Magazine's annual list of "Top 25 Cities with the “Best American Values." The magazine commissioned Peter Greenberg, best-selling author and travel editor of NBC’s Today Show, to compile a list of the nation’s most “uniquely American communities.” Greenberg looked for cities that embody America’s core values and based his ranking on nine different categories including hospitality, culture, scenic beauty and business friendliness.

Best Place to Live for Pet Lovers
U.S. News & World Report - 2009
Ellicott City was voted one of the top ten places in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of "Best Places to Live for Pet Lovers," the only community in Maryland to receive this honor. The magazine focused on weather, population density, and the availability of green space. Pet experts were also interviewed on the most animal-friendly towns and Ellicott City was selected because of its ideal location – “an easy drive from Baltimore’s animal shelters and also offers more than 100 square miles of green space within 15 miles of the city.”

Best Place to Live
Money Magazine - Ellicott City/Columbia - 2008
Ellicott City and Columbia together ranked 8th place in Money Magazine's annual ranking of "Best Places to Live," the only county in Maryland to receive this honor. The magazine sited plentiful jobs, excellent schools, and affordable housing as key factors in their selection process.

Best Place to Raise a Family
Forbes Magazine - 2008
Howard County was ranked 17th in the nation by Forbes Magazine in their survey of "Best Places to Raise a Family,” and again the only county in Maryland to receive this honor. According to the Forbes' survey: "Howard County is one of the smartest counties in the country. Its average SAT score of 1,113 trails only Marin County, Calif., on our list, and Howard's public library system holds the top spot in Hennen's American Public Library Ratings."

Great Public Library Systems
Hennen's American Public Library Ratings - 2005 and 2008
Howard County was ranked 1st in the nation among great public libraries,
based on an index of 15 factors including circulation, visits, staffing, materials, reference service, and funding levels.

Most Digital County Government
Center for Digital Government - 2007
Howard County Government ranked 3rd in the nation when it comes to counties using information technology in increasingly innovative ways and improving service to their citizens. The ranking is based on the 2007 Digital Counties Survey conducted by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties (NACo). Howard County was compared to other counties of similar size with populations in the 250,000 to 499,999 range.

Public Leadership in the Arts
Americans for the Arts - 2007
Howard County Government and County Executive Ken Ulman were awarded this honor for leadership and dedication to supporting the arts in the community and incorporating culture into the county’s economic development plan. The award was presented by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, in conjunction with the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Best Place to Live
Money Magazine - Ellicott City/Columbia - 2006
Ellicott City and Columbia together ranked 4th place in Money Magazine's annual "Best Places to Live" survey. The magazine looked for small livable cities that had the best possible blend of good jobs, low crime, quality schools, plenty of open space, rational home prices and lots to do.

Technologically Advanced Community
USA Today - 2006
Howard County was ranked the 2nd most technologically advanced community
in the United States.

Good Sports Community of the Year
Sports Illustrated- 2006
In partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, Sports Illustrated chose Howard County as one of only eight communities nationwide
to receive this award based on it's ability to promote values such as sportsmanship, fair play, skill development, helpful parent involvement and positive coaching methods.

100 Best Communities for Young People
America's Promise Alliance - 2005
This annual competition which recognizes outstanding community-wide efforts that improve the well-being of youth. Winning communities are chosen because they found innovative ways to solve problems that will improve the lives of children and young people, and demonstrated a willingness to work together within their communities to make a difference.

Best Quality of Life
American City Business Journals - Top 20 Counties in the U.S. - 2004
Howard County was ranked 9th out of 3,141 counties and independent cities across the nation, based on 20 statistical categories that included job opportunities, racial diversity, low unemployement, median income, and education.

Best Educated (Adults over 25)
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey - 2004
Advanced Degree (28%) ranked 2nd in nation
Bachelor's Degree (56%) ranked 4th in the nation

Maryland "Sports Town"
Sports Illustrated - 2003
As part of Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary issue, Howard County was named Maryland's "Sports Town," based on a variety of criteria demonstrating the community's involvement in facilitating and enhancing quality sports. Categories included youth development strategies, innovations for community development, and the committment to parks and recreation resources.

All-America City Award
National Civic League - Winning Community - 2001
The oldest and most respected community recognition program in the nation, the All-America City Award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results, exemplifying the true American spirit at work.