Cost of living in Columbia research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Columbia is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Missouri, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Columbia is 95, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Columbia is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Columbia ranks as the #105 cheapest in Missouri out of 143.
Columbia ranks as the #2,449 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Columbia is $215,300.
The median income in Columbia is $57,463.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Columbia has an overall cost of living index of 95, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Missouri, Columbia has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Missouri's index of 89.
The standard of living in Columbia ranks as #105 most affordable out of the 143 places we measured in Missouri. By definition, that implies Columbia ranks as the #38 most expensive place in the Show Me State.
For more reading on life in Columbia, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Columbia. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Columbia is 99.
The Groceries index in Columbia is 98.
The Health index in Columbia is 101.
The Housing index in Columbia is 91.
The Transportation index in Columbia is 91.
The Utilities index in Columbia is 97.
Living Expense | Columbia | Missouri | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 95 | 89 | 100 | |
Services | 99 | 92 | 100 | |
Groceries | 98 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 101 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 91 | 79 | 100 | |
Transportation | 91 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 97 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Missouri, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Columbia is $215,300.
The Median Rent in Columbia is $935.
The Median Income in Columbia is $57,463.
The Home Value To Income in Columbia is 3.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Columbia is 0.2x.
Statistic | Columbia | Missouri | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $215,300 | $171,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $935 | $886 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $57,463 | $61,043 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.7x | 2.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Columbia. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Jamestown, ND has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Columbia.
Moberly, MO has a cost of living index of 82, 0.9x Columbia.
Marshall, MO has a cost of living index of 88, 0.9x Columbia.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Columbia |
---|---|---|---|
Jamestown, ND | 15,823 | 91 | 1.0x |
Moberly, MO | 13,933 | 82 | 0.9x |
Marshall, MO | 13,431 | 88 | 0.9x |
Fulton, MO | 12,691 | 86 | 0.9x |
Mexico, MO | 11,592 | 87 | 0.9x |
Boonville, MO | 8,036 | 88 | 0.9x |