Columbia and Jefferson City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Columbia
Jefferson City
Opportunity
74 · Top 16%
vs77 · Top 10%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs71 · Top 45%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs69 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 49%
vs97 · Top 15%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Access
9 · Bottom 1%
vs34 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 33%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | Jefferson City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 128,548 | 42,488 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,498 | $66,371 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,340 | $37,220 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,903/sq mi | 1,178/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $284,600 | $218,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,097 | $802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.7% | 59.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.5% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56.7% | 38.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 700 | 24 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.4 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -25.7% | 9.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.4" | 39.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 106 mi | 98 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.9 min | 17.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.5 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.31 | 12.22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.8% | 34.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.0% | 46.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.7% | 50.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Jefferson City
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Columbia
59
Your Score
66
Area Score
Jefferson City
62
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Columbia, MO · Jefferson City, MO · How this is calculated: methodology