Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety33#622/924
Economy68#295/925
Housing46#503/925
Health87#118/925
Healthcare82#170/923
Environment75#232/917
Education97#27/925
Infrastructure81#180/925
Community78#201/925
Leisure & amenities66#313/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Columbia, MO metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Loneliness · low29.4%
98/100Missouri 32.5%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · high48.0%
96/100Missouri 32.4%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Some college · high76.1%
95/100Missouri 67.0%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high109 /100k
94/100Missouri 72 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high94.7%
91/100Missouri 91.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Drug overdose deaths · low9.5 /100k
85/100Missouri 18.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
13/100Missouri 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high106 mi
14/100Missouri 40 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high9.8 mi
18/100Missouri 6.6 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.4 /10k
21/100Missouri 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high6.0 /100k
24/100Missouri 7.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high34.2%
25/100Missouri 30.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 17% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+17 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
8.6 /1k (2020) → 14.4 /1k (2025)
+66%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
26.4 /100k (2021) → 9.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−64%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.5% (2015-2019) → 90.8% (2020-2024)
+8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
26.3% (2020 & 2021) → 34.2% (2023 & 2024)
+8 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
73.2% (2010 & 2021) → 80.3% (2022 & 2024)
+7.1 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%

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, MO metro area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Bachelor's++5.3 points42.7% → 48.0%
New businesses+66%8.6 /1k → 14.4 /1k
Household income+32%$54,808 → $72,340
Uninsured−1.2 points8.2% → 7.1%
Suicides−7%15.0 /100k → 13.9 /100k

Declined4

Firearm deaths+16%14.8 /100k → 17.2 /100k
Grocery stores−7%1.4 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Pharmacies−8.3%1.0 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Price / income+0.4×3.2× → 3.6×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Columbia, MO metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.7 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	+6.1%	Improved	43%
Average commute time	19.3 min2015-2019	19.6 min2020-2024	+0.3 min	Within the margin of error	55%
Bachelor's degree or higher	42.7%2015-2019	48.0%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Improved	94%
Broadband subscriptions	82.5%2015-2019	90.8%2020-2024	+8.4 points	Improved	44%
Child poverty rate	15.0%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Distance to an airport	106 mi2020	106 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	81%
Drug overdose deaths	16.3 /100k2020	9.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−42%	Improved	72%
Effective property tax rate	0.92%2015-2019	0.80%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	47%
Firearm deaths	14.8 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+16%	Declined	28%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−7%	Declined	29%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+5.6%	Improved	53%
High school diploma or higher	93.6%2015-2019	94.7%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	58%
Homicide rate	7.5 /100k2020	6.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−20%	Improved	43%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,4122019	$68,4932024	+33%	Improved	61%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4592015-2019	0.4702020-2024	+0.011	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$54,8082015-2019	$72,3402020-2024	+32%	Improved	76%
New business applications	8.6 /1k2020	14.4 /1k2025	+66%	Improved	76%
Pharmacies	1.0 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−8.3%	Declined	50%
Poverty rate	17.2%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Property crime rate	2,221 /100k2020	1,483 /100k2025	−33%	Improved	49%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−4.4%	Little change	27%
Public transit commuters	0.8%2015-2019	0.8%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Rent as share of income	30.3%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Rent-burdened households	50.5%2015-2019	48.4%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Restaurants and bars	9.3 /10k2020	9.6 /10k2025	+3.1%	Little change	59%
Suicide rate	15.0 /100k2020	13.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−7%	Improved	73%
Traffic deaths	12.2 /100k2015-2019	11.9 /100k2020-2024	−2.5%	Little change	66%
Unemployment rate	4.4%2020	3.4%2025	−1 points	Improved	5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.2%2015-2019	7.1%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	73%
Violent crime rate	372 /100k2020	310 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	51%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Columbia, MO metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbia, MO metro area 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, MO metro area itself moved +1.9 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

215,014 residents

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

86,393 households (±709)

Columbia, MO metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%14,388
$25k–50k18%15,878
$50k–75k17%14,608

Homes

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

Owners and renters

86,393 households (±709)

Columbia, MO metro area
United States share

Own60%51,727
Rent40%34,666

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

109,447 workers (±1,488)

Columbia, MO metro area
United States share

Drive alone75%82,329
Carpool8.9%9,720
Public transit0.8%887

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Columbia, MO employ 25,910 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Columbia, MO by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses3,680 jobs	3,680	$84,330US $97,550	−14%	1.57×
General and Operations Managers3,440 jobs	3,440	$75,410US $105,770	−29%	1.42×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides3,000 jobs	3,000	$36,860US $35,800	+3%	1.01×
Retail Salespersons2,610 jobs	2,610	$31,390US $35,410	−11%	0.97×
Cooks, Fast Food2,470 jobs	2,470	$29,110US $30,890	−6%	5.57×
Cashiers2,340 jobs	2,340	$29,910US $32,880	−9%	1.09×
Office Clerks, General2,330 jobs	2,330	$44,730US $45,010	−1%	1.37×
Waiters and Waitresses2,120 jobs	2,120	$29,250US $35,230	−17%	1.35×
Nursing Assistants2,040 jobs	2,040	$41,290US $42,260	−2%	2.03×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,880 jobs	1,880	$34,720US $37,330	−7%	0.96×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Columbia, MO.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Columbia, MO has 5,312 employer establishments, 245 for every 10,000 residents (0.99× the US rate of 248), with 91,660 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,895. The Census Bureau also counts 16,464 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,312; 16,464 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 245; US 248
Paid employees: 91,660
Average annual pay: $51,895; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	506	23.4	1.12×About typical	5,056	$71,824	752
Restaurants and other eating places	385	17.8	0.97×About typical	8,960	$19,451	62
Specialty trade contractors	379	17.5	1.13×About typical	2,371	$62,369	982
Lessors of real estate	258	11.9	0.97×About typical	1,038	$54,091	2,236
Construction of buildings	206	9.5	1.26×More than typical	975	$48,012	487
Services to buildings and dwellings	175	8.1	1.20×About typical	1,280	$32,882	893
Limited-service restaurants	173	8	1.00×About typical	4,205	$18,194	22
Offices of physicians	161	7.4	1.15×About typical	1,525	$103,542	203
Full-service restaurants	153	7.1	0.92×About typical	3,878	$21,477	20
Offices of other health practitioners	140	6.5	1.06×About typical	816	$53,271	381
Religious organizations	139	6.4	1.16×About typical	1,460	$25,912	—
Building finishing contractors	128	5.9	1.55×More than typical	491	$48,159	347

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 216,584 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $30.6M on contracts performed in Columbia, MO metro area: $140 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $30.6M; −27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $140; US $1,994
Sole-source: 20%; US 30%
Single offer: 21%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$33.2M100%
U.S. Geological Survey$2.7M8.9%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$1.3M4.2%
Department of the Navy$746.3K2.4%
Department of the Air Force$517K1.7%
Agricultural Research Service$199.5K0.7%
Defense Information Systems Agency$192.8K0.6%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$165.8K0.5%

Top recipients

GUARANTEE INTERIORS, INC.$9M29%
ATTA ELEVATORS USA, INC$4.4M14%
DUBUQUE BARGE AND FLEETING SERVICE CO$3.7M12%
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM$3.3M11%
ONSITE CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC$2.1M6.8%

Spending by fiscal year

42.5MFY2017
61.5MFY2018
50.1MFY2019
68MFY2020
44.8MFY2021
76MFY2022
71.1MFY2023
41.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Building equipment contractors · 2382$5.9M19%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$3.8M12%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$3.7M12%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$3.5M11%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$2.2M7.1%

Largest awards

CONTRACTOR TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES TO COMPLETE THE EHRM PROJECT AT THE COLUMBIA MO VAMC.$18.8M
GUARANTEE INTERIORS, INC.· Boone County, MO· Construction & real property· Sep 28, 2022 – Jul 9, 2026· 36C77622C0105
CORRECT REUSEABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PROJECT589A4-24-101$8.7M
GUARANTEE INTERIORS, INC.· Boone County, MO· Construction & real property· Sep 22, 2025 – Jul 8, 2026· 36C25525C0064
HIGH POWER DENSITY STRUCTURAL HEAT SPREADER$8M
THERMAVANT TECHNOLOGIES LLC· Boone County, MO· Research & development· Sep 22, 2022 – May 1, 2026· FA945322CA109
CORRECT ELECTRICAL DEFICIENCIES PROJECT NUMBER 589A4-23-104

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Columbia, MO metro area: $5,967 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.3B; −3.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,967; US $12,955
Loan face value: $943.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$698.5M53%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$112.3M8.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$87.9M6.7%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$59.2M4.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$53.8M4.1%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$26M2.0%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$18.2M1.4%
93.859 · Biomedical Research and Research Training$12.9M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM$131.7M10%
COLUMBIA, MO
MISSOURI SYSTEM, UNIVERSITY OF$32.9M2.5%
COLUMBIA, MO
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$29.6M2.3%
JEFFERSON CITY, MO
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA MO$16M1.2%
COLUMBIA, MO
COLUMBIA COLLEGE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$866.2M66%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$127.5M9.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Institutes of Health$75.6M5.8%
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Education$74.9M5.7%
Federal Highway Administration$30M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.4BFY2021
1.2BFY2022
1.3BFY2023
1.3BFY2024
1.4BFY2025
1.3BFY2026

County aggregates

77%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Columbia, MO

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ColumbiaPrincipal city128,548

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Areas based in Missouri, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M17860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Columbia, MO metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Columbia, MO

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Missouri

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought