Every year, Money magazine searches America for the best places to live. Number one on their 2016 list? Columbia, Maryland. If you’re looking for a place to live in Maryland, you’ll want to consider Columbia.
A planned community
Columbia was founded in the 1960s around the idea that the community should foster socioeconomic, racial, and religious diversity. It consists of ten villages that each contain a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and apartment buildings, along with plenty of green space as well as churches, synagogues, and interfaith centers.
Ten villages
Columbia’s ten villages each contain two or more neighborhoods. All of the villages have a shopping center, recreational facilities, a community center, bike and walking paths, and residences. Some of them also have schools. The villages and their neighborhoods are:
- Dorsey’s Search village, Dorsey Hall and Fairway Hills neighborhoods
- Harper’s Choice village, Hobbit’s Glen, Longfellow, and Swansfield neighborhoods
- Hickory Ridge village, Clary’s Forest, Clemens Crossing, and Hawthorn neighborhoods
- Kings Contrivance village, Dickinson, Huntington, and Macgill’s Common neighborhoods
- Long Reach village, Jeffers Hill, Kendall Ridge, Locust Park, and Phelps Luck neighborhoods
- Oakland Mills village, Stevens Forest, Talbott Springs, and Thunder Hill neighborhoods
- Owen Brown village, Dasher Green, Elkhorn, and Hopewell neighborhoods
- River Hill village, Pheasant Ridge and Pointers Run neighborhoods
- Town Center village, Amesbury, Banneker, Creighton’s Run, Vantage Point, and Warfield Triangle neighborhoods
- Wilde Lake village, Bryant Woods, Faulkner Ridge, Running Brook, and The Birches neighborhoods
Education in Columbia
Columbia is served by the Howard County Public School System, which operates 41 elementary schools, 20 middle schools, 12 high schools, and 3 special schools in Howard County. While there are no four-year colleges or universities in Columbia, it is the home of Howard Community College, which is ranked as one of the best two-year colleges in the country for adult learners.
Recreation in Columbia
Recreation has always been an important part of Columbia since its initial planning. No matter what your preferred recreational activities are, Columbia has something for you, including:
- 29 swimming pools (23 outdoor and six indoor)
- two water slides
- bike and walking trails
- ice and roller skating rinks
- equestrian center
- skateboard park
- batting cages
- three athletic clubs
- indoor and outdoor tennis, basketball, volleyball, squash and racquetball courts
- running tracks
More about Columbia
As of 2013, the population of Columbia was 103,683. According to the 2010 census, the median household income in Columbia was $99,877. In 2015, the median home price was $310,000.
Ready to start looking for a home in Columbia? Call Loeffler Realty.
Shopping for a home can be an overwhelming process, but we try to take as much anxiety out of the process as we can for our customers. Our only goal is customer satisfaction. We aren’t going to try to sell you on a house that isn’t right for you. And because we’re Howard County natives, we can help you find the right home and community for you and your family.
Call us today at (301) 882-8186 or use our contact form to get started. We look forward to hearing from you.