CensusEasy
CensusEasy
METRO AREA

Columbia Metro

Columbia, MO · 3 counties · 219,062 residents (2025 est.) · 1,714 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
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
median household income $72,269, 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
Unique to this place

What stands out about Columbia

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share1.0% → 4.2% (+3.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share88.9% → 77.2% (−11.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 25 metro and micro areas based in Missouri

  • 4th in household income$72,269
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree48.3%
  • 2nd in home value$262,026
  • 6th in diversity score48.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
215,014
+32%since 2000
from 162,336 in 2000
219,062 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
125 / sq mi
+32%since 2000
from 95 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.6
+10%since 2000
from 30.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,714 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
129K152K176K199K223K19902000201020202024Columbia
2024215K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(11,610)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(12,601)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.6%(11,982)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.7%(18,718)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2412.7%(27,309)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414%(30,145)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.4%(26,693)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.3%(22,086)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.8%(23,148)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.7%(18,714)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(8,806)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(3,202)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,269
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,893 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,659
+107%since 2000
from $19,121 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.0%
+22.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.467
+2%since 2010
from 0.459 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration6.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$262,026
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,313 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,052
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $504 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 60.3% in 2000
39.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.36 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.2%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 19.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.6
+13%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
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)
Diversity Score
48
+37%since 2009
from 35 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
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)
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)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
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)
Hmong0%(34)
Laotian0%(33)
Mongolian0%(23)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(144)
Chamorro0%(31)
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)
+ 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)
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)
Syrian0%(99)
Ukrainian0%(98)
Egyptian0%(83)
Brazilian0%(50)
Bulgarian0%(38)
Moroccan0%(34)
Israeli0%(33)
Slovene0%(31)
Latvian0%(25)
Serbian0%(25)
Barbadian0%(19)
Jordanian0%(18)
Somali0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.3%
+10.9 ptssince 2000
from 37.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.8%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 87.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
21.3%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 16.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.7 min
+58%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 76.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.5%
+6.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 68.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 18.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.9%
+9.5 ptssince 2009
from 39.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
51.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
5.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.0%
+2.5 ptssince 2012
from 10.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2013
from 9.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.7%
+10.8 ptssince 2017
from 80.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.2%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 93.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 79.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 93.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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

Uninsured
6.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2013
from 9.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
65.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 66.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 15.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.0%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 10.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.6%(1,548)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.2%(3,200)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(469)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(149)
US avg: 1%

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
Over time

Columbia, decade by decade

Columbia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990136,845$60,089$144,45432.4%25.5
2000162,336$67,206$175,44837.4%33.1
2010190,387$65,156$211,61541.2%39.0
2020210,864$70,413$232,78044.7%50.1
2024215,014$72,269$262,02648.3%48.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

In this metro

Largest cities

ColumbiaCENTRAL130,851Boonville7,867Ashland5,221Fayette2,848Hallsville1,742New Franklin1,026Sturgeon957Pilot Grove693Otterville450Windsor Place361Bunceton338Harrisburg289Prairie Home268Armstrong241Clark237Rocheport211Blackwater192Hartsburg137Pierpont68Franklin67Huntsdale30Wooldridge27McBaine16
What's inside

3 component counties

Boone CountyCENTRAL191,746Cooper County17,136Howard County10,180
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 Columbia
Head 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.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →