Columbia vs Iowa City
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Iowa City area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $284,600 in Columbia and $285,900 in Iowa City.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($66,498 vs $58,546 median).
- Columbia has the warmer winter: January highs of 40°F vs 31°F.
- Iowa City gets far more snow: 28 inches a year vs 17.
Side by side
| Columbia, MO | Iowa City, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 130,851 | 76,229 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.8% | +1.9% |
| People per square mile | 1,937 | 2,959 |
| Median age | 29.5 | 26.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,498 | $58,546 |
| Median home value | $284,600 | $285,900 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 4.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,097 | $1,094 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 91.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 69.2 | 84.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,100 | $68,600 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 6.94% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.4 | 17.3 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 26.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 31° / 15° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 86° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 28 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 35 | 19 |
| Nights below freezing | 101 | 135 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 85.8 | 87.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 70% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46% | +33.9% |
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. Iowa City: May and July to October.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and Iowa City 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 $68,600 in Iowa City. Moving from Columbia to Iowa City, you would need about $76,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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