Ellicott City grew less diverse, Columbia lost population, new data shows

The populations of Howard County’s biggest places are trending in opposite directions. Ellicott City grew in 2023; Columbia shrank, new population counts released last week show. Ellicott City added about 1,300 people, a growth rate of nearly 2%, but its Hispanic population shrank, bucking a trend seen in many places across Maryland where gains in the Hispanic population offset losses in white and Black populations. (Photo: Kylie Cooper/The Baltimore Banner)