Towns include: Columbia,
Elkridge,
Ellicott City,
North LaurelLife expectancy at birth: 79.73 years
Howard County's largest city, Columbia, has had quality of life built in from day one. Built around a system of villages connected by walking and biking paths as well as roads, Columbia offers a sense of community and opportunities to integrate exercise into your everyday routine, both of which have been shown to prolong life.
The city, planned by famous developer James Rouse in the 1960s, was designed to be a better suburb, and it has largely lived up to its goal: Columbia is a perennial on Money's Best Places to Live list. So is nearby Ellicott City, which boasts a charming historic main street and the award-winning Chesapeake Shakespeare company.
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