Columbia is a great place to live for many reasons. We have an excellent school system, state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, entertainment opportunities galore, low cost of living, a clean environment and much, much more. The book 50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family has this to say: “Columbia is a fast-growing city, valued for its highly educated work force, low cost of living, favorable government attitude toward business, award-winning schools and nationally recognized quality of life.”
Columbia’s centralized location offers quick access to St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as the State Capitol, Jefferson City, and the beautiful vacation getaway, Lake of the Ozarks. Columbia is also minutes away from a host of historic towns and state parks featuring boating, fishing, hiking, biking and more.
In Columbia, you are never more than a few minutes away from one of the 13 major shopping areas including the region’s largest mall and The District, a downtown area featuring restaurants and unique shopping experiences which have been highlighted several times in Southern Living Magazine.
Abundant and affordable housing is also available in Columbia. If you are seeking majestic estates, a condo on the golf course or the traditional family neighborhood, Columbia has something to fit both your lifestyle and your wallet.
Whatever your reason for considering our city for relocation, we’re sure you will find what you are looking for in Columbia, Missouri.
Cost of Living
Columbia consistently ranks below the national average for the cost of living. Columbia also enjoys an abundance of affordable housing in safe, friendly neighborhoods. For additional information about the Cost of Living Index, contact the Chamber office or call us at 573-874-1132.
C2ER, the Council for Community & Economic Research, produces the Cost of Living Index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban areas in the United States. The Index is conducted quarterly for over 300 participating cities and is based on 59 items that are standardized and chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditure patterns for middle income households. It measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services. The average for all participating areas equals 100 and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.
In 2021, Columbia’s cost of living was 6.9% below the national average, showing that Columbia continues to be an affordable place to live.
Careers in Columbia
Welcome to Columbia where you will find yourself both in the middle of Missouri and the country. Columbia is the county seat of Boone County and was incorporated in 1826. Columbia is home to the University of Missouri.
Though the city was founded on education, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located on Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 63, Columbia is right in the middle of the state and the nation. Just a couple hours drive from St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia is Boone County’s largest population center and has received numerous national awards and recognitions.
Resources
Consider doing business with members of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce for all your relocation needs. Use the links below to make valuable connections with people that would love to share their wonderful community with you.
- Banks
- Credit Unions
- Insurance
- Moving & Storage
- Newspapers
- Real Estate – Appraisers
- Real Estate – Commercial
- Real Estate – Developers and Investors
- Real Estate – Farms and Ranches
- Real Estate – Property Management
- Real Estate – Residential
- Real Estate – Title Companies
- Telephone Communication – Equipment
- Utilities
You can also find more information about Columbia and relocating by following the links below:
