Columbia, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia, MO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,680 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1631.6 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.48% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 27.3 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 45,643 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia grew by 27.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 110,680 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 38.2% of residents. That is 17.0 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 42,245 38.2% +17.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,217 20.1% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,898 14.4% -5.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,395 11.2% -6.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Missouri, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.8% of the people living in Columbia and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.2% Missouri 49.3%
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Economy
Columbia has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,936 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.38% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia is about 14% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $259,097 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,082 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.1% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia is about 19.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,082 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.9 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,995 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,210 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,004 | 923 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbia is 15 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Columbia has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbia has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia, Missouri.
How big is Columbia, Missouri by population?
About 110,680 people live in Columbia, Missouri, in 45,643 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 27.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Columbia, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia, Missouri has 1,632 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 19 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Columbia, Missouri?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($259,097 against $60,936), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,082 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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