Columbia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Columbia
St. Louis
Opportunity
70 · Top 22%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs72 · Top 40%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 47%
vs58 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs87 · Top 39%
Access
93 · Top 45%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 18%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | St. Louis | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,278 | 288,512 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,437 | $56,160 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,896 | $41,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,258/sq mi | 4,675/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $196,500 | $197,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,075 | $997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.8% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.3% | 0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 41.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.4% | 20.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 304 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.1" | 40.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 23.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.8 | 36.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 108 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.53 | 11.51 | 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: hurricane.
St. Louis
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Columbia, PA · St. Louis, MO · How this is calculated: methodology