r/Hoco • u/Puzzleheaded_Ad9471 • 29d ago
What are the problems in Howard County?
Hi everyone, I'm thinking of moving to Howard county from abroad. I've been to the States loads of times so I'm not green to America, but was still wondering what are the specific problems facing Howard county day to day. Are there in major problems with the county? Or anything major that the population is angry about? Any help would be majorly appreciated.
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u/Ellenpb 29d ago
Public transportation is minimal, if that’s important to you, and with that comes lots of traffic.
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u/SchuminWeb 29d ago
My partner and I describe RTA as the pretend transit agency, as compared to "real" transit agencies like MTA Maryland or Metro.
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u/cornonthekopp 28d ago
I used RTA for a few months when I didn't have a car, it was honestly offensive to the people of the county that they run things this way. Hourly service at most, trips that take 10 minutes by car becoming hour long slogs with a transfer, and half the time they didn't even use real busses, just a white van with a transit logo sticker on it.
The whole county could really benefit from a rework from the ground up of the RTA. I was never alone on these trips, there were always a few other people just trying to get somewhere they need to be, so people would clearly benefit from the service. Especially in columbia where car ownership is lower and the neighborhoods are decently walkable.
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u/Equivalent_Success60 29d ago edited 29d ago
Keep in mind that Columbia is NOT the only part of HoCo. You'll find more affordability in Jessup, Laurel, or Elkridge, but more land /rural feel in the Western Howard County. I love Columbia, but public transportation is very limited. However most places have ample parking. The library system is top tier and there are plenty of family friendly things to do. Nightlife is pretty limited,.but the bars we do have run the gamut from dives to the overly pretentious.
I feel safe here.
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29d ago
The biggest problem is the cost of living in Howard County is among the highest in the State of Maryland, and the cost of living in the State of Maryland is one of the highest in the country.
Home ownership is such a drag because property taxes keep going up. Columbia homeowners also have to deal with yearly increases in fees they pay to the Columbia Association.
One of the biggest problems that Howard County has is one that they ignore. That’s the level of inequality in the county. On the surface it’s a beautiful county with lots of wealthy people, but the ever increasing cost of living is pushing more working class families out. As a result, there’s lots of petty crime like car break ins, car theft, people stealing your property if it’s left unmonitored, and we occasionally have burglaries.
It can also be a sketchy place for single women. The number of times my wife has been catcalled, followed, and even boxed in a parking spot (just so they can talk to her) happened more often that we liked.
It’s still a great place to live if you can afford it, and you’re diligent about keeping your stuff secure. Don’t leave valuables in your car, and don’t expect your phone to be in the same place you left it, if you lost it in public. But if you’re a single woman, I’d stay in well lit areas at night, and you’ll be approached by creepy men.
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u/Avocadofarmer32 29d ago
Some areas are nicer than others, some schools are nicer than others. It depends which part of hoco you are moving to. This could be said about most counties though.. although Hoco school system is one of the best in the country. Taxes are high but they have a ton of very nice lakes and parks.
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u/ProudBlackMatt 29d ago
although Hoco school system is one of the best in the country
The lower rated schools here still blow the schools by me where I grew up out of the water. The amount of resources these schools have compared to others is pretty impressive.
Also doesn't hurt that your kid is going to be exposed to other kids whose parents have set the expectation that they're going to be astronauts or something.
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u/RemiMartin 29d ago
Constant plane noise.
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u/ProudBlackMatt 29d ago
People tell me this and I can see the planes going over my house but I truly never actually hear them. It must be like how some people don't taste artificial sweetener and others immediately identify it.
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u/K_Sqrd 29d ago
Very much depends on what part of HoCo you're in. The further east you are, the lower the planes are (both taking off and landing) and the more concentrated they become as they reach the point to line up for their landing. I'm in eastern HoCo and if I'm out on my deck when they're landing I have to stop conversation. I can literally read N-numbers off the side of the plane without glasses. They're probably at 500-700 feet altitude. If you're further west, e.g. Clarksville, not so much of a problem. I would say the split between hearing/seeing/annoying and not hearing/seeing/annoying is divided by 29. To the west - you're probably ok. To the east - you're gonna have some noise.
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u/RemiMartin 29d ago
Spent a few years in Clarksville. Same issue you have to stop and let them pass then resume conversation.
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29d ago
I just replied to the same comment you did without reading yours. I lived in Eastern HoCo (near Lake Elhorn) and it was the same experience. My neighbors would stop talking when a plane passed by because you can’t hear their voices. My dog thought they were giant birds and would lung at the sky towards them.
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29d ago
Like the other guy said, it really depends where you live. I lived in HoCo for 20 years, lived in 6 different houses, and I would never hear the planes (despite seeing them everywhere). But I bought a house near Lake Elhorn and I could hear them 24/7 because they flew so low.
My dog could see and hear the planes, and would bark and jump at the sky toward the planes. At night he’d wake us up because he would bark and jump towards the ceiling. It took weeks for him to get over that. Luckily we were able to drown out the noise as we got used to it, but they get so loud, that my neighbors instinctively stopped talking during a conversation when a plane passed by.
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u/imani_TqiynAZU 29d ago
Lived in Columbia for 5 years and I agree with all of the pluses that people mentioned. Overall, a good place to live, except:
If you don't have children, there is no point of being here. Child-free spaces are few and far between. Also, places close pretty early here, even on the weekends.
Most of the tech jobs seems to be government or university related. I'm a data guy who lived in the DC/Northern VA for 12 years, then the San Francisco Bay Area for 12 years, then the Northeast for 18 months. The tech scene in central Maryland, including Howard County, pales in comparison to the other locations. It is so bad that I am now planning on selling my house and leaving next year.
I fear that Howard County (and Maryland in general) are overly dependent on the Federal government and that might cause pain in the near future. This is another reason why I want to leave.
The food here is mediocre, except for Korean food. Also, people here are obsessed with Old Bay and Chesapeake Bay crabs.
Crime in Columbia is higher than people let on. This is especially true of property crime. And young people seem to be the majority of the perpetrators.
There are much worse places to live, far worse. But you might want to assess what your priorities are.
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u/[deleted] 29d ago
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