What it's like to live in Columbia
Columbia is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Columbia deals with cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Columbia compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Columbia
Based on Columbia's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,256
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,120 a year
- 47% of Columbia renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$58,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,300
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,128/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,128 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $293,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $293,000 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Monroe County is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Monroe County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 93% below US
28 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1009/100k · Columbia Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 36% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site (10 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Columbia's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,128/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Columbia
All Illinois guides →Moving to Cahokia Heights →
8 mi away · pop. 17,106
Rent $981/mo · Income $33,792
Compare with Columbia →Moving to East St. Louis →
12 mi away · pop. 17,999
Rent $847/mo · Income $35,700
Compare with Columbia →Not sure Columbia is the one?
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