City · Marion County, Mississippi

Columbia, Mississippi

Columbia is a city in Marion County, Mississippi. It has 6,632 residents. Columbia, Mississippi has a quality-of-life score of 3 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,179 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Mississippi it ranks #141 of 194 cities and towns. It ranks best on pharmacies (high), social associations (high) and time spent in the emergency room (low). It ranks worst on hospital quality rating (low), life expectancy (low) and child poverty rate (high).

3Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,179 of 15,651 cities and towns
Mississippi: #141 of 194 in MS
Population: 6,632 (2020-2024)
Land area: 11 mi²
Density: 596.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 2815340

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety24#11,912/15,637
Economy4#14,965/15,631
Housing51#7,380/14,977
Health6#14,705/15,609
Healthcare7#14,594/15,650
Environment12#13,661/15,453
Education37#9,871/15,649
Infrastructure5#14,854/15,650
Community10#14,117/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,271/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Columbia, Mississippi ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Marion County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Pharmacies · high3.3 /10k
98/100Mississippi 2.2 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMarion County value
Social associations · high19.0 /10k
97/100Mississippi 12.6 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low126 min
84/100Mississippi 138 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarion County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.60%
79/100Mississippi 0.58%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Depression · low20.9%
78/100Mississippi 20.1%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Average commute time · low20.3 min
76/100Mississippi 25.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Hospital quality rating · low1.0
1/100Mississippi 2.3United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMarion County value
Life expectancy · low69.8 yrs
2/100Mississippi 72.5 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Child poverty rate · high33.1%
2/100Mississippi 25.0%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Firearm deaths · high30.3 /100k
2/100Mississippi 25.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateMarion County value
Premature death · high16,224 /100k
3/100Mississippi 12,827 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMarion County value
Adult obesity · high46.7%
3/100Mississippi 42.6%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
5,992 (2015-2019) → 6,632 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
50.6% (2015-2019) → 83.8% (2020-2024)
+33 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
45.8% (2015-2019) → 33.1% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
56.9% (2015-2019) → 44.9% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateImproving
35.9% (2015-2019) → 24.5% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$26,858 (2015-2019) → $38,507 (2020-2024)
+43%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Columbia, Mississippi improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Broadband+33 points50.6% → 83.8%
Poverty−11 points35.9% → 24.5%
Inequality−0.0550.486 → 0.430
Household income+43%$26,858 → $38,507

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Columbia, Mississippi between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	29.4 min2015-2019	20.3 min2020-2024	−9.1 min	Within the margin of error	98%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.9%2015-2019	14.8%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Broadband subscriptions	50.6%2015-2019	83.8%2020-2024	+33 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	45.8%2015-2019	33.1%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Effective property tax rate	0.68%2015-2019	0.60%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
High school diploma or higher	80.3%2015-2019	82.4%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	62%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4862015-2019	0.4302020-2024	−0.055	Improved	86%
Median household income	$26,8582015-2019	$38,5072020-2024	+43%	Improved	78%
Poverty rate	35.9%2015-2019	24.5%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	95%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	33.5%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent-burdened households	56.9%2015-2019	44.9%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	20.6%2015-2019	14.1%2020-2024	−6.5 points	Within the margin of error	91%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Columbia, Mississippi five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbia, Mississippi in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Columbia, Mississippi itself moved +16.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

6,632 residents (±39)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,445 households (±207)

Columbia, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Under $25k35%865
$25k–50k37%909
$50k–75k9.4%†229

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,445 households (±207)

Columbia, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Own63%1,550
Rent37%895

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,036 workers (±301)

Columbia, Mississippi
Mississippi share

Drive alone84%1,705
Carpool4.5%†92
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Marion County, the county holding most of Columbia's residents.

Marion County has 560 employer establishments, 232 for every 10,000 residents (0.93× the US rate of 248; 1.13× Mississippi's), with 8,596 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,099. The Census Bureau also counts 2,090 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 560; 2,090 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 232; US 248 · Mississippi 205
Paid employees: 8,596
Average annual pay: $54,099; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Marion County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	43	17.8	3.21×More than typical	232	$19,927	—
Restaurants and other eating places	42	17.4	0.95×About typical	632	$14,737	15
Ambulatory health care services	34	14.1	0.68×Fewer than typical	246	$48,919	140
Specialty trade contractors	27	11.2	0.72×Fewer than typical	179	$47,922	249
Limited-service restaurants	26	10.8	1.34×More than typical	472	$13,756	6
Truck transportation	26	10.8	2.13×More than typical	657	$62,396	100
Gasoline stations	22	9.1	2.81×More than typical	166	$22,054	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	15	6.2	5.42×More than typical	1,686	$95,518	14
Management, scientific and technical consulting	15	6.2	0.93×About typical	23	$78,957	34
Automotive repair and maintenance	13	5.4	1.07×About typical	58	$42,431	34
Building equipment contractors	12	5	0.83×About typical	62	$35,339	30
Banks and credit unions	11	4.6	1.41×More than typical	165	$54,327	—

Rank places for an industry Open Marion County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 24,140 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $4,818 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Columbia, Mississippi: $0.73 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4,818; −34% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.73; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.3%; US 30%
Single offer: 28%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$4,81299.9%
Department of the Army$5.900.1%

Top recipients

SOUTHERN TIRE MART, LLC$4,818100%

Spending by fiscal year

25.7KFY2017
2.4KFY2018
-36.2FY2019
1.9KFY2020
-3.7KFY2021
2.4KFY2022
6.3KFY2023
-15.3KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Rubber product manufacturing · 3262$3,55574%
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$91719%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$1152.4%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$61.331.3%
Other chemical product and preparation manufacturing · 3259$58.001.2%
Other textile product mills · 3149$55.231.1%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Columbia, Mississippi, so they do not add up across cities.

Columbia, Mississippi's figures are part of those of Marion County, MS ($204.3K in FY2026), never added to them: 2.4% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Columbia is mostly in Marion County.

See federal money in Marion County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Columbia, Mississippi is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michael GuestR-MS-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Marion County4100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Marion County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2815340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends