Columbia, MD
Overall Livability
82
out of 100
🏙
82
Livability
💰
70
Affordability
🎓
96
Educational Attainment
🛡
—
Crime & Safety
☀
—
Weather
City Overview
Population
106,600
Median Age
39
Median Income
$124,537
Poverty Rate
8%
Housing
Median Home Value
$458,700
Median Monthly Rent
$1,895
Homeownership Rate
64%
Rental Market
Renter Burden Rate
42%
Share of renters paying 30%+ of income on rent
Educational Attainment
High School Diploma or Higher96%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher64%
Internet & Commute
Households with Broadband95%
Average Commute Time
32 min
🚗
Similar Cities
Cities with a similar overall livability score
- Highlands Ranch, CO101,514 pop. Score 82
- Edmond, OK94,503 pop. Score 82
- Mount Pleasant, SC90,945 pop. Score 82
- Franklin, TN83,630 pop. Score 82
- Pleasanton, CA78,691 pop. Score 82
Compare This City
- Columbia vs. Baltimore, MDCompare →
Largest city in same state
- Columbia vs. Washington, DCCompare →
Closest city in another state
- Columbia vs. Highlands Ranch, COCompare →
Similar overall livability
Pros
- ✓Very affordable cost of living
- ✓Highly educated population
- ✓Excellent broadband internet access
- ✓Strong homeownership community
Cons
- No notable cons yet
Population by Age
Under 18
21%
18–34
24%
35–54
26%
55–64
13%
65+
16%
Key Facts
- Population
- 106,600
- Median Income
- $124,537
- Median Rent
- $1,895
- Median Home Value
- $458,700
- Median Age
- 38.8
- Homeownership
- 64%
- Broadband Access
- 95%
- Avg Commute
- 32 min
Nearby Cities
- Baltimore24 km
- Silver Spring26 km
- Germantown35 km
- Frederick54 km
- Waldorf66 km
Featured In Rankings
- #7Most Livable Cities in America (2026)
- #24Most Educated Cities in America (2026)
- #19Best Cities for Software Developers (2026)
- #18Best Cities for Tech Workers (2026)
- #12Best Cities for Lawyers (2026)
- #21Best Cities for Business Managers (2026)
- #16Best Cities for Accountants (2026)
- #16Best Cities for Marketing Professionals (2026)
- #24Best Cities for Hospitality Workers (2026)
- #18Best Cities for Counselors (2026)
Other Cities in Maryland
- Germantown90,210
- Silver Spring81,808
- Waldorf81,077
- Frederick78,390
- Baltimore584,548
Score Breakdown
- Affordability
- 70
- Educational Attainment
- 96
- Crime & Safety
- —
- Weather
- —