Demographics · MO
Columbia, MO demographics: 128,548 residents, with a median age of 29.5 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
128,548people live in Columbia, at a median age of 29.5 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024, a 5-year average)
Median age 29.5 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Columbia, the largest race group is White (73.2%); 4.4% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 8.1% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The median age in Columbia is 29.5 years (±0.4), younger than the U.S. median of 38.9 years. The population is 48.1% male and 51.9% female. The largest age band is 18 to 24 at 24.2%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6,606 | 5.1% | ±411 |
| 5 to 17 | 17,485 | 13.6% | ±897 |
| 18 to 24 | 31,049 | 24.2% | ±1,413 |
| 25 to 34 | 19,613 | 15.3% | ±592 |
| 35 to 44 | 16,168 | 12.6% | ±911 |
| 45 to 54 | 11,762 | 9.1% | ±531 |
| 55 to 64 | 10,982 | 8.5% | ±757 |
| 65 to 74 | 8,347 | 6.5% | ±650 |
| 75 and over | 6,536 | 5.1% | ±512 |
Median age by sex: 29.3 (male) · 29.7 (female).
Shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Columbia is White at 73.2% of the population. Separately, 4.4% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race.Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 94,082 | 73.2% | ±894 |
| Black or African American alone | 15,705 | 12.2% | ±957 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 87 | 0.1% | ±40 |
| Asian alone | 8,165 | 6.4% | ±654 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 100 | 0.1% | ±67 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 1,496 | 1.2% | ±375 |
| Two or more races | 8,913 | 6.9% | ±1,086 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 5,680 | 4.4% | ±550 |
Race shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding; race and Hispanic origin are separate questions and are not additive. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Columbia has 52,564 households. 49.2% are family households and 35.6% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.26 people.
Total households
52,564
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.26
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.03
Family households
49.2%
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
35.6%
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 52,564 | ±751 |
| Family households | 25,886 | ±886 |
| Nonfamily households | 26,678 | ±959 |
| Householder living alone | 18,688 | ±1,149 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
8.1% of Columbia residents were born outside the United States. 89.1% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (3.0%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 8.1% | 10,400 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 89.1% | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 3.0% | Spanish · 3,663 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
56.7% of adults age 25 and over in Columbia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (the U.S. share is about 35%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 56.7% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Columbia is 2915670. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.