City comparison
Columbia, MO is about 100 miles (175 km) from Lee's Summit, MO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Columbia, MO to Lee's Summit, MO takes about 13 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Columbia has a population of 126,172, vs 101,728 in Lee's Summit — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Columbia covers about 68 sq mi vs 64 sq mi for Lee's Summit.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Columbia | Lee's Summit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $997/mo | $1,295/mo | 29.9% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Median home value | $248,600 | $291,400 | 17.2% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Median household income | $60,455 | $103,447 | 71.1% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Columbia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.5 | 89.3 | 3.2% higher in Lee's Summit |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 93.7 | ≈ equal (Lee's Summit slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Lee's Summit slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Columbia, you'd need $109,556 in Lee's Summit to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, MO is about 8.7% cheaper overall than Lee's Summit, MO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% higher in Lee's Summit than in Columbia. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $87,645 in Lee's Summit to keep the same standard of living.