City comparison
Columbia, MO is about 200 miles (300 km) from Peoria, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 h 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 Peoria, IL takes about 23 min, covering roughly 200 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 113,054 in Peoria — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Columbia covers about 68 sq mi vs 48 sq mi for Peoria.
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 | Peoria | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $997/mo | $917/mo | 8.7% higher in Columbia |
| Median home value | $248,600 | $146,700 | 69.5% higher in Columbia |
| Median household income | $60,455 | $58,068 | 4.1% higher in Columbia |
| Groceries index | 94.4 | 93.9 | ≈ equal (Columbia slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 86.5 | 90.6 | 4.8% higher in Peoria |
| Transportation index | 93.4 | 99.3 | 6.4% higher in Peoria |
| Healthcare index | 93.6 | 99.5 | 6.4% higher in Peoria |
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 $99,819 in Peoria to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia and Peoria have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 9% higher in Columbia than in Peoria. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $79,856 in Peoria to keep the same standard of living.