Thanks for the replies guys. A lot depends obviously on the school systems and available jobs (I am a certified Social Studies Teacher in NY). Being from a small, semi-rural, rather hippy town (Saratoga Springs), Frederick sounds like a pretty cool place. Columbia's location is really appealing, but the cost of living in Howard County is nearly as bad as Fairfax/Loudoun in Virginia. I will probably take a trip down in November or so (once my HS soccer reffing gets done) to take a look around. Any other opinions are appreciated!