METRO AREA
Columbia Metro
Columbia, MO · 3 counties · 219,062 residents (2025 est.) · 1,714 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#33Most educatedof 92548.3%The short version
Columbia is a metro area of 215,014 people. That puts it in the top 8% of US metro areas for household income. The median age is 33.6, younger than the US median of 38.9. 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Growth has run 32% since 2000, or 52,678 more people. The foreign-born share is 6%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
215,014
+32%since 2000
from 162,336 in 2000
219,062 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,714 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024215K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(11,610)
5 to 95.9%(12,601)
10 to 145.6%(11,982)
15 to 198.7%(18,718)
20 to 2412.7%(27,309)
25 to 3414%(30,145)
35 to 4412.4%(26,693)
45 to 5410.3%(22,086)
55 to 6410.8%(23,148)
65 to 748.7%(18,714)
75 to 844.1%(8,806)
85 and over1.5%(3,202)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$72,269
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,893 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
48.0%
+22.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.7%
Other services8%
Retail trade6.7%
Public administration6.4%
Wholesale trade5.6%
Finance & insurance3.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
Construction1.5%
Education & health services1.1%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$262,026
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,313 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.6
+13%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic85.3%(138,396)
Black8.4%(13,655)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(2,644)
Asian2.5%(4,046)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(166,011)
Black9%(19,377)
Hispanic / Latino4.2%(9,044)
Asian4.2%(9,094)
Other5.3%(11,488)
48
+37%since 2009
from 35 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
26
−14%since 2020
from 30 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(5,875)
South American0.5%(1,012)
Central American0.2%(522)
Peruvian0.2%(455)
Puerto Rican0.2%(402)
Cuban0.1%(256)
Bolivian0.1%(240)
Colombian0.1%(212)
Spaniard0.1%(180)
Guatemalan0.1%(157)
Honduran0.1%(134)
Panamanian0%(77)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0%(75)
Venezuelan0%(58)
Dominican0%(51)
Nicaraguan0%(43)
Costa Rican0%(36)
Chilean0%(27)
Ecuadorian0%(20)
Asian origin
Chinese1.1%(2,169)
Asian Indian1%(1,787)
Korean0.5%(971)
Vietnamese0.4%(778)
Cambodian0.4%(740)
Filipino0.3%(654)
Nepalese0.2%(317)
Thai0.1%(191)
Pakistani0.1%(176)
Japanese0.1%(144)
Taiwanese0.1%(128)
Kazakh0.1%(116)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(92)
Sri Lankan0%(52)
Indonesian0%(51)
Bangladeshi0%(46)
Hmong0%(34)
Laotian0%(33)
Mongolian0%(23)
Ancestry
German24.1%(51,893)
English14.6%(31,375)
Irish12.1%(25,994)
American5.9%(12,781)
Italian2.8%(6,111)
Scottish2.2%(4,718)
French1.8%(3,891)
Polish1.3%(2,867)
Norwegian1%(2,055)
Scotch-Irish1%(2,050)
Dutch0.9%(1,944)
Subsaharan African0.9%(1,944)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.8%(1,658)
British0.6%(1,215)
Welsh0.5%(1,073)
Arab0.5%(973)
Russian0.4%(854)
Swiss0.4%(807)
Danish0.4%(794)
Greek0.4%(786)
Czech0.3%(655)
West Indian0.2%(475)
Nigerian0.2%(376)
Belgian0.2%(365)
Iranian0.2%(360)
Hungarian0.2%(336)
French Canadian0.2%(322)
Portuguese0.1%(252)
Finnish0.1%(208)
Haitian0.1%(201)
Ethiopian0.1%(196)
Austrian0.1%(188)
Croatian0.1%(183)
Iraqi0.1%(179)
Romanian0.1%(176)
Lithuanian0.1%(146)
Kenyan0.1%(145)
Lebanese0.1%(137)
Slovak0.1%(129)
Ghanaian0.1%(126)
Jamaican0.1%(126)
Turkish0.1%(125)
Canadian0.1%(123)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(101)
Syrian0%(99)
Ukrainian0%(98)
Australian0%(88)
Egyptian0%(83)
Palestinian0%(62)
Brazilian0%(50)
Bulgarian0%(38)
Moroccan0%(34)
Israeli0%(33)
Slovene0%(31)
Latvian0%(25)
Serbian0%(25)
Barbadian0%(19)
Jordanian0%(18)
Armenian0%(6)
Somali0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
94.8%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 87.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.2%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 93.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.3%(37,269)
Married47%(40,472)
Widowed2.1%(1,835)
Divorced7.6%(6,587)
Women 15+
Never married39.8%(36,853)
Married43%(39,851)
Widowed6.4%(5,925)
Divorced10.8%(10,029)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 79.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 25.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.4%(2,657)
Gulf War (1990s)16.6%(1,548)
Vietnam era34.2%(3,200)
Korean War5%(469)
World War II1.6%(149)
Share of the 9,346 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Columbia
Medford
Pop 221,795
Panama City
Pop 231,174
Punta Gorda
Pop 217,212
Athens
Pop 224,148
Places similar to ColumbiaHead to head
Compare Columbia side by side
COLUMBIA VS
Medford
Income$73,999+2%
Home value$430,200+64%
Population221,795+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Panama City
Income$71,687−1%
Home value$293,695+12%
Population231,174+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952−3%
Home value$328,900+26%
Population217,212−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Athens
Income$69,695−4%
Home value$314,999+20%
Population224,148+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Columbia, MO?
Columbia, MO has about 215,014 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Columbia, MO?
The typical household in Columbia, MO earns about $72,269 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Columbia, MO expensive?
In Columbia, MO, the median home is worth about $262,026, and the typical rent is about $1,052 a month.
How educated are people in Columbia, MO?
About 48.3% of adults age 25 and over in Columbia, MO hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Columbia, MO?
About 16.0% of people in Columbia, MO live below the federal poverty line.
Has Columbia, MO grown since 1990?
Yes, Columbia, MO has grown since 1990. The population has added about 78,169 residents, a change of about 57 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024