Moving to
Columbia.

All Columbia data Compare Columbia

45,441people live here $63,719median household income▼ 21% below US $1,197median rent per month▼ 15% below US $308,700median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Columbia

Columbia is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Columbia deals with household incomes below the national average, above-average rainfall, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Rent below the national average
Clean air
Fast-growing population
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Above-average rainfall
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Columbia compares

Median household income

Columbia$63,719

Tennessee avg$69,595

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Columbia$1,197

Tennessee avg$1,189

US$1,413

Median home value

Columbia$308,700

Tennessee avg$286,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Columbia

Based on Columbia's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,394

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,880 a year
47% of Columbia renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$61,740

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $30,870
Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 15% below US

$1,197/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,197 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $308,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $308,700 · 47% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.1% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 13% above US

371 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 1498/100k · Columbia Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

28 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28 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

Drive alone

76%

Work from home

13%

Carpool

8.2%

Walk

2.2%

Other

0.6%

Public transit

0.1%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

3 hospitals

There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 29% below US

25% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

11 public schools inside the boundary

There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below 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 Stones River National Battlefield (39 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Columbia's strongest points are rent below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,197/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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