Columbia vs Independence
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Independence area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $172,900 in Independence and $284,600 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($66,498 vs $60,339 median).
- Columbia is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs -1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (16 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Columbia, MO | Independence, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 130,851 | 121,675 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.8% | -1% |
| People per square mile | 1,937 | 1,560 |
| Median age | 29.5 | 39.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57% | 22% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,498 | $60,339 |
| Median home value | $284,600 | $172,900 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 2.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,097 | $1,109 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 92.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 69.2 | 86.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,100 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.4 | 23.9 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 40° / 22° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 90° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 11 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 35 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 101 | 93 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 85.8 | 96.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 49% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46% | +42.4% |
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: June and September to October. Independence: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and Independence weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,100 in Columbia and $69,400 in Independence. Moving from Columbia to Independence, you would need about $77,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Columbia and Independence
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Columbia and Independence.
Which would you pick?
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