Cincinnati vs Columbia
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the Cincinnati area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $230,900 in Cincinnati and $284,600 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($66,498 vs $52,909 median).
- Columbia is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs +1.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (16 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Cincinnati, OH | Columbia, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 314,367 | 130,851 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.5% | +3.8% |
| People per square mile | 4,035 | 1,937 |
| Median age | 33.2 | 29.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 57% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $52,909 | $66,498 |
| Median home value | $230,900 | $284,600 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,001 | $1,097 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.4 | 89.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 87.6 | 69.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,500 | $67,100 |
| Homeowners | 40% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 16.4 |
| Work from home | 15% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.8% | 4% |
| Poverty rate | 25.5% | 19.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 40° / 23° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 89° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 45 in | 41 in |
| Snowfall per year | 23 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 22 | 35 |
| Nights below freezing | 100 | 101 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.3 | 85.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 26% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.8% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.9% | +46% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Cincinnati: July to October. Columbia: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Cincinnati weather by month and Columbia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,500 in Cincinnati and $67,100 in Columbia. Moving from Cincinnati to Columbia, you would need about $70,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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