Boone County · Missouri · Midwest · 129k residents
Columbia, MO: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Columbia: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Missouri median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,196/wk. Missouri's corporate income tax rate is 4%. Commercial electricity averages 10.3¢/kWh.
Compare Columbia side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,196/wk
Corporate income tax
4%
Bachelor's degree or higher
56.7%
Commercial electricity
10.3¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Columbia's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
51/100
Steady
Ranks Columbia's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $284,600 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $155 |
| Property tax rate | 0.88% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $943/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,032/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.95% |
| Sales tax | 8.4% |
| Corporate income tax | 4% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,196/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.3¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 27.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $101,020 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $84,330 |
| Wage: General manager | $75,410 |
| Wage: Customer service | $41,210 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,720 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $52,820 |
| Wage: Electrician | $61,500 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $31,390 |
| Cost of living index | 85 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $78/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,000/mo |
| Median household income | $66,498 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% |
| Population | 129k |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 86/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 205 days |
| July high | 89°F |
| January low | 23°F |
| Annual snowfall | 17 in |
| Home price YoY | +2.7% |
| Home price MoM | +0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +4.8% |
| Rent MoM | 0.0% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.4% |
| Building permits YoY | -51.8% |
| Ocean coast | 620 mi |
| Big lake | 62 mi |
| Mountains | 127 mi |
| Major airport | 105 mi |
| Ski resort | 93 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Jefferson City, MO · 42k
- Sedalia, MO · 22k
- Hannibal, MO · 17k
- Washington, MO · 15k
- Rolla, MO · 20k
Similar size
- Independence, MO · 122k
- Lee's Summit, MO · 104k
- O'Fallon, MO · 94k
- Springfield, MO · 170k
- St. Charles, MO · 72k
Real listings in Columbia
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Columbia a good place to run a business?
- Missouri's corporate income tax rate is 4%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,196/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.3¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Columbia, MO?
- Columbia indexes at 85 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,032/mo and a acs median home value of $284,600.
- How much does a house cost in Columbia?
- The acs median home value in Columbia is $284,600 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Columbia?
- A two-bedroom in Columbia rents for about $1,032/mo.