Mark Twain once said he didn't know how to react when fans paid him a compliment, as he always felt they hadn't said enough. That's sound advice for residents of the Ellicott City-Columbia area. Money magazine recently ranked those adjoining Howard County communities as the second best place to live in the country, and they deserve to boast a bit.
How did Ellicott City and Columbia rate so high, jumping from eighth place two years ago to second place this year? It wasn't because they have the lowest taxes in the country. Howard County's tax rates (income and property) are not among the lowest in the state. And Maryland's state taxes are also considered moderate-to-high. Nor has the county nurtured a reputation for lax regulations or stingy pay for its public employees.
Instead, the community succeeds for the reason so clearly outlined by the magazine: a superior quality of life. The area has assets the magazine describes as a magnet for families — great public schools, parks, a popular outdoor amphitheater and other public facilities attracting well-educated and well-paid professionals.
Unemployment is low, thanks in no small part to nearby government jobs at Fort Meade and the National Security Agency. Others work in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, a commute made more convenient by the availability of mass transit, including MARC commuter trains.
The author also points to the region's racial diversity, a tribute to the vision of developer James W. Rouse, who planned Columbia as a model suburban community more than 40 years ago.
Not every community in Maryland can be Columbia and Ellicott City. The county's proximity to major employment centers gives it a leg up – as does the relative paucity of poverty, compared with Baltimore City, a major reason foreclosure rates in the county are so low. Housing prices remain competitive with neighboring counties, particularly traffic-congested Montgomery County.
But there's a lesson in this for the rest of the state. Quality education and superior public amenities can trump so-called "business climate" concerns of taxes and government regulations when it comes to economic development. And government jobs are nothing to be sniffed at. People are willing to pay more to live in a top-flight community, as Columbia and Ellicott City's success demonstrates.
Some Howard Countians may be disappointed that they didn't rank higher in Money's survey, but at least they can take some comfort in the climate that counts most. Top-ranked Eden Prairie in Minnesota gets a lot more tornadoes in the spring and blizzards and sub-zero temperatures in the winter than the average U.S. community.