ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced U.S. News and World Report has ranked Ellicott City and Columbia in the top five Best Places to Live in Maryland. Ellicott City ranks 13th, nationally, in the U.S. News and World Report 250 Best Places to Live for 2025-2026. Only seven Maryland cities have made the U.S. News and World Report list of 250 cities across the United States.
With a rich history and unmistakable charm, it is no surprise that Ellicott City is ranked so highly by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best places to live in the United States. Whether perusing the shops on Historic Main Street or enjoying a delicious meal on Route 40 or enjoying nature at one of the picturesque parks, there is no shortage of things to do in Ellicott City. Columbia consistently ranks high in best places to live because it is a safe, walkable community with a vibrant economy that encompasses everything – food, entertainment and living spaces. Columbia’s diverse and welcoming community makes it an inviting and warm place for all. In Howard County, we pride ourselves in making our community a safe and welcoming place for visitors as well as an ideal place to live for residents.
This year, U.S. News and World Report evaluated more than 850 cities nationwide to determine the rankings. Previously, this ranking only included the top 150 cities. The rankings are based on a formula that factors in five indexes: quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.
Quality of Life
Within the Quality of Life index, there are six areas that are weighed:
- Quality of education
- Quality of availability of health care
- Air quality index
- Environmental risk
- State economy
- State infrastructure
Value
The Value index measures how comfortably the average resident can afford to live within their means. The national average home value is $370,480, while the median home value in Ellicott City is $627,797. The national median household income is $79,466, while Ellicott City’s is $163,286. In Columbia, the median home value is $495,708 while the median household income is $132,563.
Desirability
These factors contribute to residents’ overall satisfaction in their day-to- day living. The average commute time in Ellicott City is 25.1 minutes—that’s 3.1 minutes more than the national average. The average commute time in Columbia is 23.69 minutes.
Job Market
Unemployment rate and median household income are used in this calculation. Both Ellicott City and Columbia have unemployment rates lower than the national average of 4.5 percent. Ellicott City’s is at 2.5 percent, while Columbia has a 3 percent unemployment rate.
Net Migration
Net Migration measures whether people are moving to or away from each city and assesses whether a city is attracting new residents.
For the full list, visit U.S. News & World Report "250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2025-2026" website.