Did some more calculations.

The five most diverse middle schools are:

• Mayfield Woods
• Bonnie Branch
• Oakland Mills
• Elkridge Landing
• Dunloggin

The least diverse, with 2/3 of it's student body a single race/ethnicity, is Glenwood.

The link others gave provides you the info but I took the high schools and put them into a diversity index calculator.

The five most diverse high schools are:

• Atholton
• Hammond
• Long Reach
• Reservoir
• Howard

That being said, almost all HCPSS schools rank pretty decently for diversity. What you'll find in the "mid-range" diversity schools is there's an inverse relationship between Black & Latino students versus White & Asian. If one pair accounts for the majority of the school, then usually they outnumber the other pair 2-3 to 1.

The one high school that is different is Glenelg. It's almost 2/3 a single race/ethnicity; while it still has some diversity, it scores notably lower than the rest of the county on an index calculator.

Gamers Corps in Old Ellicott City is where I go. Unless there's something going on that night, they usually have tables open, the staff are friendly and helpful, and they're open reasonably late on Friday and Saturday nights. Plus, you're surrounded by lots of great food choices for lunch or dinner beforehand.

Only downside is be prepared to haul your games with you, as the nearest parking lots are a good 800-900 feet away, either up or downhill (and you'll be hiking uphill either way, either to start or when you finish).

I wonder how many of those showing up to the meeting know that our county schools are subject to county code Title 12, Subtitle 2, §§ 12.200—12.218, which protects numerous groups from discrimination, including based on sexual orientation, personal appearance, or gender identity or expression. This code applies to many areas including "public accommodations" and "any other facets of the lives of its citizens where such practices may be found to exist."

Any 'parents rights' advocates can complain all they want; the board literally cannot change HCPSS policy regarding LGBTQIA+ inclusion or representation under county code. Not that they would, seeing as the Superintendent serves as an ex-officio member of the county's LGBTQIA+ Commission and the policies protecting LGBTQIA+ staff and students have been on the books for decades (with the last revisions years ago).

1. Columbia was designed specifically for families, to the point that it primarily caters to households with children. It has one of the top public school systems, miles of walking/biking trails with numerous tot lots/playgrounds, tons of parks, and various programs for youth.
2. (Whether correct or not...) Positive outsider views of Columbia include good neighborhoods, low crime/high safety, highly diverse and inclusive, good job opportunities, and good schools. Negative outsider views might include high cost-of-living, classist (caters to the wealthy), nepotism in government and quasi-government authorities, and too many HOAs.
3. The "worst" spots of Columbia are usually specific communities rather than whole areas, and even then they still rate lower in crime and safety concerns than state or averages. There are a lot of naysayers pining for an illusionary past when Columbia was safer, but fact remains the per capita rate has been declining since the '80s and '90s.
   1. The "worst" zip code in Columbia is 21046, which is essentially the southern and southeast portions of the city. Even then, most of the neighborhoods are fine, and the overall crime is 44% below the national average, with violent crimes 51% less and property crime 18% less (most of which is because of problems with theft).
4. As mentioned, Howard County has one of the top public school systems, with the majority of the county budget dedicated to education. Although many of the top schools in the state are here, there will be some that aren't as good as others. Even then, usually the "worst" schools are comparable to the average schools in nearby counties. The main issue with schools is overcrowding, particularly in Columbia, which they're trying to fix with building a new school and further redistricting. Still, many people move to the county specifically to have their kids graduate from Howard County schools.
5. If you're commuting to Rockville, you'll want to get an EZPass and use the ICC (toll road). It will easily shave 15 minutes off your drive (one-way) but even then, you'll have to prepare for traffic. Estimates are 30-45 minutes to Rockville using the ICC, so you have to prepare for the higher number.
6. Be prepared if you're not used to living in a major city. Although unincorporated, and technically a suburb, Columbia has over 100,000 people (and that's not including the adjacent towns). Many people complaining about traffic, crime, noise, etc. never lived anywhere but quiet towns; in contrast, those coming from big cities, more urban counties, or truly rough towns see Columbia as a paradise. It depends on what you're used to and what your expectations for "nice" are.
7. I find the town's classist elements very off-putting. Local politics are rife with the "liberal elite" and "champagne socialists" who pat themselves on the back for promoting progressive ideals, but then never provide support for the many families who make less than six figures. Worse, some of these same people who proclaim to support diversity and inclusion then support county laws or local movements that hinder actual change and assistance. There's a lot of hypocrisy from those who talk a lot but do little, and you'll even find these NIMBYs using the same dog whistles as bigots and nationalists, all in the name of ensuring their property values remain high.

Socio-Political Vibe: Socially Progressive and Centrist Liberal, although classist with numerous NIMBYs, "liberal elite," and "champagne socialists" in charge. Speak a good game on supporting the disenfranchised but often show their true feelings through local legislation (not to mention bigoted dog whistles). Still a very nice place to live (even for more economically left ideologies) - lots of ethnic and racial diversity, county laws supporting (and protecting) LGBTQIA+, religious diversity (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc.), and a notable Deaf population (because of the Maryland School for the Deaf). Just don't expect as much support for the (predominantly Black or Latino) working- or lower-middle class communities, neighborhoods, or schools as wealthier areas... at least, beyond lip-service and events celebrating 'diversity.'

Crime and Safety: Due to the size of Columbia (second largest 'city' in Maryland) crime exists, but even the "worst" zip code is 44% below the national average for crime (per capita), and 59% below for violent crimes. Most crime is property-related (burglary, automobile theft, etc.) and the majority of residents feel safe in their neighborhoods and on the numerous bike and walking paths. Howard County Police Department is generally decent, from both a community and investigative perspective. They're far from perfect, and there will always be detractors, but in general HCPD uses less force, makes fewer arrests for low level offenses, solves murder cases more often, and holds officers more accountable than most other regional PDs.

Cost and Economy: Columbia is expensive to live in, with a CoL 18.3% above the national average. Most of this comes in the cost of housing, where renting an apartment is almost the cost of a mortgage on a townhouse. You'll find everything here, from groceries to gas, a little more costly, except one thing: healthcare. Due to the extensive health network and facilities in the area, with the right insurance and doctors, you'll pay $20-$30 for co-pays and dollars (or cents) for prescriptions. As for work, there are plenty of commercial and industrial opportunities (particularly in retail and services), medical positions at the numerous offices, and public sector jobs... and that's in Howard County alone. If you're willing to commute 30-60 minutes in any direction, then you have seemingly endless opportunities; the unemployment rate in Maryland is around 4%, even with inflation and a recession.

Activities and Events: Columbia has minimal nightlife, limited to various sports bars and restaurants, as it was designed as (and to an extent remains) a family-focused planned city. There is still plenty to do here, though, starting with over 114 miles of pathways and sidewalks that lead to numerous parks and natural sites. We have tons of shopping areas, from commercial sites to Columbia Mall (one of the few indoor malls still going strong in the metro area). For entertainment we have two movie theaters, a dinner theater (and other smaller stages), and Merriweather Post Pavilion for large concerts. You'll also find events held at Symphony Woods and on the lakefront in downtown. Check your local news and there's probably something going on somewhere every week.

Weather and Climate: We are in a temperate zone, so expect all four seasons. Summers are hot and humid (mid-80s but feel like the 90s), although being further in-land we're not as bad as the counties east of us. Winters are cold and bitter (low-40s); in the past decade, we don't get snow as often but instead freezing rain and sleet that leave everything coated with a half-inch of ice (which will close schools, government, and make roads and sidewalks treacherous). Spring and Fall tend to be pleasant but unpredictable, especially as climate has changed; it's not unknown to have snow flakes in April, barbecue weather in October, or all four "seasons" in a week.

Maybe this could be shared on NextDoor? Seems a lot more local political opinion and activism there.

Racist troll account. Look at the name. It's already been suspended by Reddit - might as well delete.

Columbia is, by-and-large, a Democrat stronghold full of Liberal and Progressive ideals. Overall, it promotes diversity, inclusion, education, and (despite the development) some forms of urban environmentalism. Howard County is about 48% Democrat, 31% Republican, and 21% Unaffiliated or Third Party; even then, most Republicans are either A) non-MAGA "old school" conservatives or B) live in the western areas of the county (away from Columbia proper).

You'll find gatherings or events supporting just about every disenfranchised demographic here, particularly celebrating Asian, Black, Hispanic, LGBTQIA+, and Women. Festivals and other celebrations are very common in and around Columbia; check your weekly or monthly guide and you'll hopefully find some event, even if it's just a minor ceremony.

Protests for federal issues are rarer, as both people and local government are often on the same page, but you'll find occasional demonstrations in solidarity for progressive issues. There was a march for BLM during the Floyd protests, for example, that our own police chief even joined. Most activists, however, take their stuff downtown to DC, where it has more of an impact.

As for political talk between people here, well...

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As you live here, you'll find out that Columbia is very classist. The divide here is very much by income, which makes sense given a household making less than six figures is "lower middle class" or even "working poor." And, as most know, classism is often intertwined with racism; the wealthier neighborhoods tend to be predominantly white and Asian, while the 'affordable' neighborhoods often have higher Black and Latino populations.

What you end up with is so-called 'Moderates' and 'Centrists' who are NIMBYs, liberal elite, champagne socialists, etc. People who claim to support progressivism, diversity, environmentalism, etc.... but then use their wealth (and political power) to prevent the very policies that would help those things. Some examples...

• Support immigrants but vote against sanctuary county laws
• Support diversity but protest redistricting that integrates schools based on income (which often integrates them more racially)
• Support LGBTQIA+ but question school policies on 'age-appropriate' representation in materials or rules protecting transgender students
• Applaud our green spaces but vote against laws restricting new developments (and often line their pockets with developer money)

And that's not even getting into complaints about "spikes in crime" which are often accompanied by the dog whistle about us "turning into Baltimore." (Hint: Columbia's 'worst' zip codes are 44% below the national average for crime per capita, and 59% below for violent crimes.)

Combine this with the nepotism and corruption that often follows when wealthy sit in seats of power, and you get a lot of dirty local politics. People abusing their authorities on Village Boards, coups within the Columbia Association (the closest we have to a 'governing' body), and attacks and slander throughout the election season.

Worse, those above can (and do) end up on the same side of votes as Republicans (including MAGA types), which just exacerbates the issue. Our county votes a bit more purple than you'd think, given it's demographics. We were mostly 3:1 (or more) for Democrat candidates, but only 2:1 on marijuana legalization and less than 2:1 in favor of codifying ourselves as a Sanctuary County.

Thanks to this lovely example of "Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows," we have entire social media groups dedicated to the vocal minority, full of "freedom investigators" bringing us the "truth," most of which read like FoxNews and Breitbart comments. While you can often ignore these groups just by not engaging with them, sometimes they become very loud on social media or at certain county or school meetings, especially during election time.

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tl;dr Columbia is overall Democrat/Blue/Liberal/Progressive and a place that celebrates diversity and inclusion. It's not overly political, except wherein it hosts events supporting those ideals.

However, it is a wealthy city (in a very classist county), and that leads to many egocentric Liberals of privilege who sometimes join with Conservative (and even MAGA) voices when it comes to anything that affects their money or neighborhood. While still a minority in the end, this 'alliance' can get very loud during election time (or when a 'contentious' progressive policy is in the works).

Contrary to what you may hear (luckily, no doomsayers as of this post), Columbia (and Howard County in general) is one of the safest major suburban areas to live. You'll find people talking about "crime is rising" (especially since it's election time), but the per capita rate remains on a downward trend since the '80s.

As of the 2019 UCRs, Howard County's violent crime rate is over 70% below both state and national levels. The "worst" areas of Columbia, specifically, are still 60% below national levels for violent crime (and even lower for murder or robbery).

While no city this size has zero crime, and we do have incidents happen, you are statistically speaking unlikely to face violent crime in this area. Most stuff here is property crime, and even that is well below state and federal levels in most zip codes.