Two Cities in Maryland Voted by CNN as Best Places to Live

The cities of Columbia and Ellicott in Howard County, Maryland were chosen as this year’s number 8 “Best Places to Live” by CNN.

“Living on the border of Columbia and Ellicott City offers the best of both worlds — a charming, historic downtown with plenty of restaurants (Ellicott City) and a thoughtfully laid-out planned community with tons of big-box stores and a giant arena (Columbia),” CNN said about these two cities in Maryland.

CNN added, “Families in this pair of unincorporated cities get to enjoy living in a community with a diverse population, reasonable housing costs, terrific schools, miles of hiking trails, and a new development, Blandair Park, which will include 20 acres of forest, wetlands, meadows, and a historic farm complex.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that as of 2010, the total population of Columbia was 99,615; while Ellicott’s total population was 65,834 as of 2010.

Thinking of buying a home in Columbia, Ellicott or near these cities?

The latest housing statistics of the Maryland Association of Realtors (MAR) show that the average home price in Howard County – where both these unincorporated cities belong – in July this year was $439,347, a 2% increase from last year’s average home price which was $430,834.

Meanwhile, the median home price in Howard County in July 2012 was $410,000, a 3.9% increase from last year’s median home price of $394,500.

For the entire state of Maryland last July, the average home price was $307,383, a 3.8% increase from last year’s average home price of $296,022; while the median home price in Maryland for the month of July, according to MAR, was $261,772, a 7.8% increase from last year’s median home price of $242,796.

Whether you are a first-time home buyer, first-time home seller, empty nester, thinking about selling a home or buying a home, do contact the Guldi Real Estate Group. In Southern Maryland, the Guldi Group is the number one real estate team.