Columbia is Best Place to Live in America for 2016: Money Magazine

COLUMBIA, MD — Ahead of its 50th birthday next year, Columbia received an early present — it was named the best place to live in America by Money magazine. The magazine described Columbia as "a planned community that prizes economic and social diversity," in a blurb explaining why the city topped Money's annual rankings released Monday.

"...you see the millionaire and the thousand-aire and the hoping one day to be an -aire living all next to each other in the same community," Howard County Council Chair Calvin Ball said in a video accompanying the rankings. "We have people here who care so much about the community, which isn't just the buildings or the park or the school system, but it's really the people."

Amenities like The Mall in Columbia, top schools and 90 miles of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians contributed to making living in Columbia the best, residents said.

See the full write-up about Columbia by Money magazine.

Money ranked cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000 using more than 60 factors — from median home price to obesity rates to median high temperature to racial diversity to crime rates. This year, editors added weight to financial factors like housing affordability, economic opportunity and the job market, according to a statement from Money.

Columbia ranked in the top 5 percent for economic opportunity among more than 800 places on its list, according to Money. Its location between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., makes Columbia a desirable spot for those seeking employment.

In fact, the region consistently falls below the national unemployment rate. Howard County had a 3.6 percent unemployment rate in July, when the national rate was 4.9 percent.

One economic engine is the redevelopment underway in Columbia. Howard Hughes Corporation is working to breathe new life into the community that James Rouse planned in 1967, through the addition of more retail, residential and office buildings.

Columbia was one of three planned communities to make it into the top 10 best places to live list for 2016, according to Money. No. 6 was Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and No. 8 was Weston, Florida, both of which were also planned.

Money’s Top 10 Best Places to Live for 2016:

1. Columbia, MD
2. Eden Prairie, MN
3. Plano, TX
4. West Des Moines, IA
5. Parsippany, NJ
6. Highlands Ranch, CO
7. Clarkstown, NY
8. Weston, FL
9. Beaverton, OR
10. Naperville, IL

This isn't the first time Columbia has made Money's list — Columbia and Ellicott City were ranked No. 6 in 2014, No. 8 in 2012, No. 2 in 2010; No. 8 in 2008; and No. 4 in 2006.

Money releases its “best places to live” list annually, but it rotates the types of communities that are on it; the magazine ranks large cities (with populations between 50,000 and 300,000) during even-numbered years and small towns in odd-numbered years. Columbia is home to a population of more than 102,000.

Related:

• Columbia Among Money Magazine's Best Places to Live for 2014
• Columbia Once Again Among Top 10 Best Small Cities in America

Pictured, the People Tree in Columbia is a symbol of the diversity incorporated into the planned community, which embraced all residents before the Fair Housing Act made discrimination illegal. The breakdown of residents in Columbia currently is 55 Caucasian, 25 percent African-American, 12 percent Asian and 8 percent Hispanic, according to Money. Patch file photo.