Columbia vs Hillsboro
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $497,400 in Columbia and $521,100 in Hillsboro.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($131,490 vs $106,409 median).
- Hillsboro has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 43°F.
- Columbia gets far more snow: 19 inches a year vs 3.
- Hillsboro is growing faster: +4.4% since 2020 vs +0%.
- Commutes are shorter in Hillsboro (23 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Columbia, MD | Hillsboro, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 104,338 | 111,126 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | +4.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,267 | 4,202 |
| Median age | 39.4 | 35.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $131,490 | $106,409 |
| Median home value | $497,400 | $521,100 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 4.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,042 | $1,978 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 104.5 | 105.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 118.2 | 125.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,400 | $79,100 |
| Homeowners | 65% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.9 | 22.9 |
| Work from home | 25% | 22% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.2% | 4.8% |
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 43° / 25° | 47° / 34° |
| July high / low | 89° / 68° | 82° / 52° |
| Precipitation per year | 45 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 19 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 34 | 17 |
| Nights below freezing | 93 | 64 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 72.4 | 96.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 70% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.7% | +1.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +31.8% | +21.2% |
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: Columbia: April to June and September to October. Hillsboro: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and Hillsboro weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $78,400 in Columbia and $79,100 in Hillsboro. Moving from Columbia to Hillsboro, you would need about $75,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.