Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Columbia, MO

    Is Columbia a good place to live?

    Watch Columbia

    Columbia ranks #13 of 29 Missouri cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (52/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.8% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $268,300
    +7.9% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,067
    per month
    Household income
    $64,488
    median
    Unemployment
    3.9%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Columbia

    The median home value in Columbia is $268,300 and median rent is $1,067 a month, against a median household income of $64,488. Homes cost about 4.2× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Columbia crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Missouri the 2025 rate was 426 violent and 1,689 property crimes per 100,000 people — #16 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Columbia, MO

    Columbia has about 127,200 residents, 3.9% unemployment and 30% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Columbia with

    Columbia vs Kansas CityColumbia vs St. LouisColumbia vs SpringfieldColumbia vs IndependenceColumbia vs Lee's SummitColumbia vs O'FallonColumbia vs St. JosephColumbia vs St. Charles

    More: Where to move in Missouri · Best counties in Missouri

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report