Columbia vs Lawrence
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $284,600 in Columbia and $292,700 in Lawrence.
- Columbia is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs +1.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (16 vs 20 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Columbia, MO | Lawrence, KS | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 130,851 | 96,367 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.8% | +1.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,937 | 2,784 |
| Median age | 29.5 | 29.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57% | 56% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,498 | $65,009 |
| Median home value | $284,600 | $292,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,097 | $1,091 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 90.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 69.2 | 71.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,100 | $67,700 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 5.58% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.71% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.4 | 19.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 4.4% |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 17.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 38° / 19° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 89° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 10 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 35 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 101 | 103 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 85.8 | 74.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +4.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46% | +41.6% |
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. Lawrence: April and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and Lawrence 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 $67,700 in Lawrence. Moving from Columbia to Lawrence, you would need about $75,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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