Columbia, MO

Census Place

2024 Population

128,548

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

29.5

1.03% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.3%

3.67% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$66,498

3.12% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Columbia, MO is home to a population of 129k people, from which 96% are citizens.

As of 2024, 8.03% of Columbia, MO residents were born outside of the country (10.3k people).

In 2024, there were 5.93 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (92.1k people) in Columbia, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 8.11k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96%

2024 Citizenship

95.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96% of Columbia, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia, MO was 95.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbia, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
92.1k ± 914
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
15.5k ± 949
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
8.11k ± 652

4.42%

Hispanic Population

5.68k people

4.42% of the people in Columbia, MO are hispanic (5.68k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia, MO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,470 ± 5,042 people
India
24,378 ± 3,826 people
China
16,113 ± 3,112 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 42,470 Missouri residents, followed by India with 24,378 and China with 16,113.

Foreign-Born Population

8.03%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

10.3k people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.2k people

As of 2024, 8.03% of Columbia, MO residents (10.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia, MO was 8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Columbia, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,689 ± 342
Vietnam
1,263 ± 242
Gulf War (1990s)
747 ± 250

Columbia, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.34 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbia, MO.

Economy

The economy of Columbia, MO employs 67.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia, MO were Educational Services (13,406 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,092 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,735 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($96,375), Finance & Insurance ($66,850), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,656).

Employment

Occupations

67.8k

2024 Value

± 2,331

2.24%

1 Year growth

± 4.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia, MO grew at a rate of 2.24%, from 66.4k employees to 67.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia, MO, are Management Occupations (7,807 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,599 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,039 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

67.8k

2024 Value

± 2,331

2.24%

1 Year growth

± 4.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia, MO grew at a rate of 2.24%, from 66.4k employees to 67.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia, MO, are Educational Services (13,406 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (12,092 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,735 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia, MO, though some of these residents may live in Columbia, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,264

Median earning men ± $2,292

$36,957

Median earning women ± $1,936

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,672), Wholesale Trade ($82,150), and Manufacturing ($62,676).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($56,964), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,576), and Public Administration ($54,215).

Education

The student population of Columbia, MO in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 16,183 male students and 21,724 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia, MO are White (10,172 and 77.7%), Black or African American (992 and 7.58%), Hispanic or Latino (753 and 5.75%), and Two or More Races (599 and 4.57%).

The largest universities in Columbia, MO by number of degrees awarded are University of Missouri-Columbia (11,426 and 84.4%), Columbia College (1,738 and 12.8%), and Paul Mitchell the School-Missouri Columbia (201 and 1.48%).

The most popular majors in Columbia, MO are General Business (1,381 and 10.2%), Other Ethnic, Minority, Gender, & Group Studies (1,343 and 9.92%), and General Health Services (509 and 3.76%).

The median tuition costs are $19,538 for private four year colleges, and $13,658 and $34,877 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Columbia, MO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 30.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 37,907 (42.7% men and 57.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 37,907 students enrolled in Columbia, MO, 42.7% men and 57.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 27,272 records, of which 57.5% were women and 42.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business
1,060 degrees awarded
General Health Services
507 degrees awarded
Journalism
438 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbia, MO was General Business with 1,060 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Columbia, MO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Missouri-Columbia
11,426 degrees awarded
Columbia College
1,738 degrees awarded
Paul Mitchell the School-Missouri Columbia
201 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Missouri-Columbia with 11,426 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 5,613 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia, MO, which is 0.708 times less than the 7,927 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 10,172 degrees mean that there were 10.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 992 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($19,538) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,500) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($950) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia, MO was $284,600 in 2024, which is 0.855 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $268,300 to $284,600, a 6.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia, MO is 48.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia, MO have an average commute time of 16.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$284,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,447

$25,592

Median Property Taxes

±$1,224

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Columbia, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Columbia, MO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

48.7%

Homeownership

2024

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 48.7% of the housing units in Columbia, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 49.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia, MO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$66,498

Median Household Income

± $1,794

52.6k

Number of Households

± 1,955

In 2024, the median household income of the 52.6k households in Columbia, MO grew to $66,498 from the previous year's value of $64,488.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia, MO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia, MO is from Missouri.

0.45

2024 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2024, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.34% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Missouri across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.7%)
Worked At Home (10%)
Carpooled (7.77%)

In 2024, 73.7% of workers in Columbia, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10%) and those who carpooled to work (7.77%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia, MO have a shorter commute time (16.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.01% of the workforce in Columbia, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbia, MO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbia, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia, MO (22.9k out of 119k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia, MO is White, followed by Black and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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