Lebanon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lebanon
Columbia
Opportunity
74 · Top 16%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
79 · Top 5%
vs73 · Top 12%
Climate
71 · Top 49%
vs75 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs67 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs69 · Bottom 32%
Schools
28 · Bottom 20%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs78 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 44%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Lebanon | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,788 | 45,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,848 | $63,719 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,959 | $32,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,101/sq mi | 1,245/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $378,400 | $308,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,306 | $1,197 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.4% | 63.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.8% | 25.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 14.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,062 | 555 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 23.7 | 12.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -6.1% | -12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.5" | 56.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.6 min | 30.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.0 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.0% | 19.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.4% | 18.1% | 2019-20 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
Lebanon
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, tornado.
Columbia
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Lebanon, TN · Columbia, TN · How this is calculated: methodology