Columbia, MO

Census Place

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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
$284,600
6.08% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
67,846
2.24% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia, MO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96% of the residents in Columbia, MO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbia, MO are University of Missouri-Columbia (10,926 degrees awarded in 2023), Columbia College (177065) (1,920 degrees), and Stephens College (153 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia, MO was $284,600, and the homeownership rate was 48.7%.

Most people in Columbia, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia, MO was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMissouriBoone County, MOColumbia, MOBoone (Outside Columbia City), Cole, Callaway & Moniteau PUMA, MOBoone County--Columbia City PUMA, MO

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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia, MO
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    92.1k ± 914
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    15.5k ± 949
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    8.11k ± 652
4.42%
Hispanic Population
5.68k 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.

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.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Missouri.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    41,951 ± 5,011 people
  2. India
    23,410 ± 3,749 people
  3. China
    17,257 ± 3,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 41,951 Missouri residents, followed by India with 23,410 and China with 17,257.

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Foreign-Born Population

8.03%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
10.3k people
8%
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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    1,689 ± 342
  2. Vietnam
    1,263 ± 242
  3. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.
Y-Axis
2.17%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Missouri.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Columbia, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (40.1%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Chase Oliver (0.797%)
    Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Missouri for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.
Josh Hawley
Senator from Missouri1
Assumed office on January 3, 2019
Eric Schmitt
Senator from Missouri3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Columbia, MO awarded 13,122 degrees. The student population of Columbia, MO in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 16,066 male students and 21,674 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia, MO are White (9,764 and 77.2%), Black or African American (978 and 7.73%), Hispanic or Latino (758 and 5.99%), and Two or More Races (569 and 4.5%).

The largest universities in Columbia, MO by number of degrees awarded are University of Missouri-Columbia (10,926 and 83.3%), Columbia College (177065) (1,920 and 14.6%), and Stephens College (153 and 1.17%).

The most popular majors in Columbia, MO are General Business (1,288 and 9.82%), Other Ethnic, Minority, Gender, & Group Studies (1,253 and 9.55%), and General Studies (651 and 4.96%).

The median tuition costs in Columbia, MO are $19,034 for private four year colleges, and $13,008 and $33,216 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Columbia, MO, the percentage of applicants admitted was 77.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 30.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 37,740 (42.6% men and 57.4% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 37,740 students enrolled in Columbia, MO, 42.6% men and 57.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 27,309 records, of which 57.6% were women and 42.4% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business
    995 degrees awarded
  2. General Health Services
    533 degrees awarded
  3. Journalism
    461 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbia, MO was General Business with 995 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Missouri-Columbia
    10,926 degrees awarded
  2. Columbia College (177065)
    1,920 degrees awarded
  3. Stephens College
    153 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Missouri-Columbia with 10,926 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 5,334 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia, MO, which is 0.685 times less than the 7,788 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 9,764 degrees mean that there were 9.98 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 978 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($19,034) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia, MO is from Missouri.
0.451
2023 Wage GINI in Missouri
0.455
2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2023, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.848% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (73.7%)
  2. Worked At Home (10%)
  3. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Health

94.1% of the population of Columbia, MO has health coverage, with 61.3% on employee plans, 9.51% on Medicaid, 8.7% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 1.98% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Missouri see 1,421 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,421 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1596 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 382 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 37.4% between 18 and 34 years, 30.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

5.86%
Uninsured
61.3%
Employer Coverage
9.51%
Medicaid
8.7%
Medicare
12.6%
Non-Group
1.98%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia, MO declined by 8.42% from 6.4% to 5.86%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia, MO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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