How much do households in the Columbia, MO area spend on rent?
Refreshed annually
About $1,070, or 30.5% of their income, in 2020–2024. This is measured by comparing median, or average, rent and median monthly income for renting households.
$1.07K
median monthly rent in Columbia, MO area (2020–2024)
30.5%
average share of income spent on rent in Columbia, MO area (2020–2024)
Comparing rent to renter income provides one measure of rental affordability. The Columbia, MO area’s median rent was about $1,070 per month in 2020–2024. Typical monthly income among renting households was about $3,503 per month during that same period.
A typical household spent about $1,070 on rent in the Columbia, MO area.
Median gross rent and median renter household income, 2020–2024
Dividing rent by income provides what is called a rent-to-income ratio. A higher ratio of rent-to-income indicates rent is less affordable while a lower ratio indicates greater affordability.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households with a rent-to-income ratio of more than 30%, that is, households that spend more than 30% their income on housing, to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings. When median monthly rent is more than 30% of median monthly income, it means a typical household would meet the definition of housing cost-burdened.
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Do households in the Columbia, MO area spend more or less on rent than other Missouri metros?
The Columbia, MO area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked 1 out of 8 Missouri metros.
Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024
Compared to other metro areas in the state, the Columbia, MO area had the third highest median rent and fourth lowest median renter-household income. (Metro areas are made up of economically interconnected counties that include at least one urban area. A single metro area can include multiple cities and cross state lines.) Out of the eight metros in the state, the Columbia, MO area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked highest.
Do households in the Columbia, MO area spend more or less on rent than other small metros?
The small metro median rent-to-income ratio was 30.4%.
Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024
The Columbia, MO area is a small metro, which has less than 250,000 people. Compared to other small metros, the Columbia, MO area’s rent-to income ratio is similar to the average.
Renter income and rent, small metro areas (2020–2024)
| 1. | $6,816 | |
| 2. | $5,927 | |
| 3. | $5,861 | |
| 4. | $5,728 | |
| 5. | $5,337 | |
| 6. | $5,027 | |
| 7. | $4,909 | |
| 8. | $4,881 | |
| 9. | $4,850 | |
| 10. | $4,785 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
