Columbia, Missouri population is 130,851 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #223 nationally and #4 in Missouri. Cost of living runs 11% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $59,321/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
130,851
+774 in the last year
Top 2% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 89.4
−11% vs US
Columbia, MO metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$59,321/yr
−26% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$66,498
−14% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$284,600
−6.2% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,160/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
88°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
75%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Explore Columbia, MO demographics, including age, race and ethnicity, households, origins, language, and education.
How many people live in Columbia?
130,851 people live in Columbia as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #223 largest U.S. city.
How big is Columbia?
Columbia covers 67.8 square miles of land and 0.3 square miles of water. Its population density is about 1,929 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 3.8% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 126,048 → 2025: 130,851 (+3.8%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
126,048
April 1, 2020
2020
126,315
July 1, 2020
2021
127,373
July 1, 2021
2022
128,255
July 1, 2022
2023
129,381
July 1, 2023
2024
130,077
July 1, 2024
2025
130,851
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 12.6% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Columbia is the #223 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #4 in Missouri.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
126,048
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+4,803
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+3.8%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+774
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.6%
within V2025 only
Density
1,929
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
67.8
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#223
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#4
of 936 in Missouri
What is the median household income in Columbia?
Median household income is 14% below the U.S. median ($66,498 vs $77,719); 19.3% live in poverty — 6.8 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$66,498
US
Columbia: $66,498 — 14% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Columbia
$66,498
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Columbia from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
66,498-14.4% vs US
±1,794
Per capita income
39,340-9.1% vs US
±1,627
Population in poverty
19.3%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 6% below the U.S. median ($284,600 vs $303,400); median rent is 19% below ($1,097 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio (4.3×) is roughly in line with the U.S. median (3.9×).
Median home value$284,600
US
Columbia: $284,600 — 6% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,160/mo
US
Columbia: $1,160/mo — 8% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Columbia. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.2%
Columbia (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
68,482
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
10.0%-28.3% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Columbia sits in Boone County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Boone County
14.3%
$80,041
3.1%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Columbia's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
12,094
$1,081 / wk
#2
Accommodation and food services (72)
10,504
$433 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
10,393
$709 / wk
#4
Finance and insurance (52)
5,944
$1,813 / wk
#5
Manufacturing (31-33)
4,925
$1,230 / wk
What workers earn in the Columbia, MO metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Registered Nurses is the largest tracked occupation in the Columbia, MO metro (3,680 jobs, median $84,330/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
3,000
$36,860
$17.72
Cooks, Fast Food
2,470
$29,110
$13.99
Cashiers
2,340
$29,910
$14.38
Office Clerks, General
2,330
$44,730
$21.50
Waiters and Waitresses
2,120
$29,250
$14.06
Nursing Assistants
2,040
$41,290
$19.85
Stockers and Order Fillers
1,880
$34,720
$16.69
Registered Nurses · benchmark
3,680
$84,330
$40.54
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
3,440
$75,410
$36.26
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
2,610
$31,390
$15.09
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
850
$52,820
$25.39
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 10.6% below the U.S. average (RPP 89.4); rents run 30.8% below (RPP 69.2) — the metro's housing affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 89.4
US
Columbia's cost of living runs 10.6% below the U.S. average (RPP 89.4 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 89.4
−10.6% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Columbia, MO metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,160/mo
FY2026 · Columbia, MO HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.70%
8 brackets · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$4,943/mo
3BR rent + food + taxes + transport (childcare not modeled — county outside NDCP 2022 coverage) · federal sources Note: family-of-four total excludes childcare — modeled NDCP counties typically add $1,500–$2,900/mo for two children at center-based preschool + school-age care.
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,085/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in Missouri · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
8.1% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (3.0% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Columbia's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (88°F avg high). Coldest: January (21°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 42.2 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Columbia from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Columbia from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Boone County
85.8
Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave 93.8 Relatively Moderate · Lightning 92.5 Relatively High · Tornado 92.3 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Columbia?
17 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 75% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Columbia from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
17 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
16
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
75.9%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
74.5%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
61,318
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
In-state context.
Columbia sits at state rank #4 among 936 cities in Missouri. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Norman, OK · #222 · 130,943 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Pearland, TX · #224 · 129,930 residents.
Quick travel facts for Columbia
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Columbia Regional Airport(COU) · 11 mi 17 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Columbia.
How many people live in Columbia, MO?
Columbia has 130,851 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #223 largest city in the United States and #4 in Missouri. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Columbia growing or shrinking?
Columbia has grown 3.8% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 4,803 residents, including a 0.6% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Columbia's population in the 2020 census?
The GEOID for Columbia is 2915670. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
