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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Columbia Metro

Columbia, MO · 3 counties · 162,336 residents · 1,714.102 sq mi
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The short version

Columbia has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $36,893. Population has grown 19% since 1990. 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 24%. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $96,313. At a median age of 30.5, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, well above the US average, yet household income trails the national figure — a profile common to graduate-student tracts and academic hubs.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 30.5
US median: 35.2
More educated
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
162,336
+19%since 1990
from 136,845 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
95 / sq mi
+19%since 1990
from 80 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
30.5
+5%since 1990
from 29.0 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
129K152K176K199K223K1990201020202024Columbia
2024215K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.2%(9,995)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.4%(10,431)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.5%(10,604)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 199.3%(15,166)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2413.3%(21,582)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.7%(23,878)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4414.7%(23,817)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.2%(19,738)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647%(11,302)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 744.9%(7,889)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.5%(5,613)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.4%(2,321)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$36,893
+12%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,036 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,121
+57%since 1990
from $12,213 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.9%
−2.0 ptssince 1990
from 16.0% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$96,313
+21%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $60,187 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$504
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $361 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
60.3%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 58.6% in 1990
39.7% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Columbia on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic89.5%(122,489)
Black7.5%(10,230)
Hispanic / Latino1%(1,396)
Asian2.4%(3,272)
2000
White, non-Hispanic85.3%(138,396)
Black8.4%(13,655)
Hispanic / Latino1.6%(2,644)
Asian2.5%(4,046)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.4%
+4.9 ptssince 1990
from 32.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
87.8%
+5.5 ptssince 1990
from 82.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
16.4%
+2.1 ptssince 1990
from 14.3% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.4 min
−33%since 1990
from 18.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37%(23,563)
Married52.5%(33,394)
Widowed1.9%(1,219)
Divorced8.6%(5,475)
Women 15+
Never married32.2%(21,766)
Married49.6%(33,506)
Widowed7.8%(5,239)
Divorced10.4%(7,005)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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+101%
Home value$430,200+347%
Population221,795+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Panama City
Income$71,687+94%
Home value$293,695+205%
Population231,174+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952+90%
Home value$328,900+241%
Population217,212−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Athens
Income$69,695+89%
Home value$314,999+227%
Population224,148+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbia, MO?

Columbia, MO has about 162,336 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Columbia, MO?

The typical household in Columbia, MO earns about $36,893 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 $96,313, and the typical rent is about $504 a month.

How educated are people in Columbia, MO?

About 37.4% 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 13.9% 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 25,491 residents, a change of about 19 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →