MENU Main navigation Search BREADCRUMB HOME GOVERNMENT ABOUT HOWARD COUNTY About Howard County Howard County is a successful melding of old and new, urban and rural, where the rolling green hills of the Piedmont meet the rocky fall line of the glaciers. From the small town flavor of historic mill towns to the thriving model city of Columbia, Howard County makes everyone feel at home. About Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community. The County is continually ranked among the most affluent, advanced and educated communities in the United States. There is immediate access to leading educational and health care institutions, upscale retail, and outstanding recreation and entertainment. It is currently is home to 110,370 households and boasts a thriving, vibrant economy and welcoming business environment, with proximity to 50 federal agencies, universities, Fortune 500 companies, technology, defense and health care companies. How County Government Works Title Overview EXPAND AND SHOW CONTENT Title The Executive Branch EXPAND AND SHOW CONTENT Title The Legislative Branch EXPAND AND SHOW CONTENT Title The Judicial Branch EXPAND AND SHOW CONTENT Additional Information History The history of Howard County County Symbols Official Howard County flag and seal County Holidays Official government holidays Geography With a total land area of 160,640 acres, Howard is the second smallest county in Maryland. According to the Maryland Extension Service, 90% of the county is in the Piedmont Plateau (gently rolling hills) and 10% is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain (sandy soils). altitude ranges from 20 feet to 875 feet above sea level. Precipitation averages 43.4 inches per year. Howard County has six regional parks, 24 community parks, seven golf courses, five lakes and over 200 miles of walking, hiking and biking trails. Demographics Population 2010 census 287.085 2020 projection 330,558 Educational attainment (ages 25 and older) High school graduate or higher 95.1% Bachelor's degree or higher 60.5% Income Per capita income $51,452 Median household $106,707 Average household $140,754 Open Howard Providing greater transparency and high-quality, freely accessible data is one of Howard County Government’s highest priorities. In 2014, the County Council passed legislation requiring County agencies to publish documents online in a searchable format and to regularly update that. The legislation also required that certain data be freely available to the public in machine-readable formats. Publishing documents and data online in a searchable format provides the public with direct access to County information and statistics. It increases public participation throughout decision-making processes, improves transparency and efficiency in government, and demands greater collaboration among County departments. By providing this Open Data portal, Howard County Government reaffirms its commitment to these core principles and objectives: Improve government transparency Improve efficiency and effectiveness Increase collaboration among County departments Promote a data-driven culture Promote civic engagement Improve the quality of life for all County residents Enhance and create economic opportunities By establishing this Open Data portal, Howard County Government is creating an open and transparent digital environment of statistical support that strives to inform, educate and benefit the entire community. Data are provided in Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License. The Howard County Open Data portal is an ongoing effort. Please come back often to explore newly published datasets Visit Open Howard HoCo Dash The Howard County Data Analytics and Statistics Hub (HoCo DASH) is a performance management website that had not existed formally in Howard County. HoCo DASH was launched to provide a starting place for government’s efforts to increase performance management. The administration worked with government and community partners to evaluate and prioritize measures that aligned with the County Executive’s top priorities. This rigorous process involved multiple meetings to come to consensus on data sets, objectives, targets and strategies. Performance management is important to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of County services, while providing decisionmakers and stakeholders with the vital information and recommendations needed to assist in solving problems and delivering results for residents, businesses, and communities. Visit HoCo Dash GIS Map The GIS division provides data, tools, and technical assistance to almost every County agency. Technical assistance, programming and recommendations for standards are available to the many County departmental users who create and maintain data layers that are critical to their mission. Contains information regarding: Find a Howard County address and view detailed information about it including nearby public facilities Load and overlay different county datasets on an interactive map View general-purpose PDF maps generated by various county agencies for easy printing Visit GIS Map TAGS Howard County Stay Connected! Sign up for the County Executive's weekly newsletter and stay up to date on everything Howard County. 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