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Missouri city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Columbia?

What it costs to live in Columbia, and how it compares with other Missouri cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

29

49th best value in Missouri

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Missouri cities.

Overall livability

47

34th overall in Missouri

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Columbia is home to about 124,342 people. A typical home runs $215,300 and a household earns around $57,500, a price-to-income ratio of 3.8. Among Missouri's largest cities, it ranks 49th for value and 34th overall.

Columbia at a glance

Median home price

$215,300

54th in MO of 58

Median rent

$935/mo

Median household income

$57,500

Home price to income

3.8x

Unemployment

3.9%

25th in MO of 58

School rating

4/10

31st in MO of 58

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in MO of 58

Walk score

14/100

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‹ See all top Missouri cities ranked  ยท  Missouri state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Missouri only. Updated 2026.