Should I Move To
Roughly 106,600 people live in Columbia, Maryland. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 10% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,895/mo; the typical household pulls in $124,537. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 58/100 — a C, putting it at #190 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Columbia sits at 110 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,895/mo against $124,537 median household income), housing eats roughly 18% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $458,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 87°F in summer, 27°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 45 inches. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 36).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Columbia is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on education (92/100); weakest on walkability (21/100).
For retirees, Columbia isn't the strongest match. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (92/100); weakest on walkability (21/100).
For remote workers, Columbia isn't the strongest match. It earns 47/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (92/100); weakest on walkability (21/100).
For young professionals, Columbia isn't the strongest match. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (92/100); weakest on walkability (21/100).
Columbia, Maryland pulls a 58/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #190 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Columbia's cost-of-living index is 110 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 10% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,895/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 87°F, winter averages around 27°F, with about 45 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 21/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Columbia has about 106,600 residents, 64% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 39.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Columbia head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Columbia stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Columbia with other Maryland cities scored on UrbRank.
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