Columbia vs St. Louis
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the St. Louis area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $197,500 in St. Louis and $284,600 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($66,498 vs $56,160 median).
- Columbia is growing faster: +3.8% since 2020 vs -7.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (16 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Columbia, MO | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 130,851 | 278,144 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.8% | -7.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,937 | 4,507 |
| Median age | 29.5 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57% | 41% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,498 | $56,160 |
| Median home value | $284,600 | $197,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,097 | $997 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.4 | 95.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 69.2 | 79.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,100 | $71,300 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.44% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.4 | 22.1 |
| Work from home | 10% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 20.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 40° / 24° |
| July high / low | 89° / 69° | 90° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 41 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 17 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 35 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 101 | 85 |
| 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 | 98.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 31% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +4.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46% | +40.5% |
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. St. Louis: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and St. Louis 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 $71,300 in St. Louis. Moving from Columbia to St. Louis, you would need about $79,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Columbia and St. Louis
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 St. Louis.
Which would you pick?
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