Living in Columbia (Missouri)

Columbia (Missouri) is a city in Missouri, United States, home to 129,330 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are students (top 6%, #123 of 2,119), commuters (top 10%, #606 of 6,227), first-time home buyers (top 11%, #806 of 8,006).

Residents129,330

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport171 km (St. Louis Lambert International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km134,700 people

Climate typeHumid subtropical (Cfa)

Terrain around itabout 190 m, height range 30 m

Main railway line37.0 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.1,324 km

Within 10 km129,330 people

Greater areaGreater Columbia, the core

LandscapeCentral Lowlands

Winter daylight9 h 26 min, sunset 23:51

See Columbia (Missouri) on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Columbia (Missouri)

The landscape belongs to Central Lowlands.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 26 min and sets around 23:51; in late June it sets around 3:38.

Best places in Greater Columbia

How Columbia (Missouri) ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In Missouri
Young family	60	#2,228 of 11,898	#67 of 209	Map
Low-income household	54	#1,425 of 9,771	#90 of 205	Map
Low-income family	59	#1,374 of 8,006	#81 of 135	Map
Single parent	63	#945 of 6,237	#52 of 105	Map
Pensioner couple	58	#5,448 of 9,474	#68 of 162	Map
Single pensioner	58	#5,208 of 9,474	#68 of 162	Map
Early retiree	60	#4,938 of 10,762	#74 of 226	Map
Single professional	60	#1,673 of 4,537	#11 of 79	Map
Young professional	63	#1,501 of 4,444	#7 of 73	Map
DINKS	62	#1,774 of 3,053	#20 of 46	Map
Remote worker	60	#2,554 of 7,271	#87 of 142	Map
Commuter	76	#606 of 6,227	#4 of 112	Map
Car-free household	66	#1,138 of 3,933	#5 of 70	Map
Student	80	#123 of 2,119	#2 of 36	Map
First-home buyer	61	#806 of 8,006	#50 of 135	Map
Budget-constrained mover	48	#4,165 of 12,111	#200 of 260	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	58	#1,600 of 4,114	#7 of 68	Map
Expat professional	60	#3,376 of 7,271	#59 of 142	Map
Healthcare-first mover	60	#4,110 of 9,474	#65 of 162	Map
Nature-focused household	40	#12,494 of 18,063	#336 of 413	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	4	#15,002 of 16,523	#316 of 373	Map
Rural value seeker	35	#12,332 of 18,063	#378 of 413	Map
High-net-worth mover	58	#5,794 of 16,523	#94 of 373	Map
Lottery winner	68	#3,084 of 21,167	#76 of 509	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	68	#2,955 of 12,111	#42 of 260	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	63	#3,830 of 12,111	#76 of 260	Map
Digital native	61	#829 of 4,750	#5 of 83	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)99
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)96
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)92
Education and family84
Foundation82
Flat land (terrain relief)82
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)74
Health and elderly73
Mobility and connectivity67
Lifestyle and amenities63
Jobs and economy55
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)50
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)43
Affordability40
Green space36
Safety and community33
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)27
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)16
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)16
Sea or lake shore0
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.