Living in Columbia, MD
Suburb in Maryland
Columbia is a suburb in Maryland, home to about 106,000 people, with 5.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Columbia a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Highly educated: 64% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 9 research universities are within 31 mi
- Big job market: about 5.5 million people live within 31 mi
- Family-friendly: playgrounds, family attractions and plenty of households with kids
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher taxes: about $1,897 state income tax per resident, 1.24% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Columbia ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Columbia: common questions
What is the cost of living in Columbia?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $445k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,360 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Columbia?
Maryland collects about $1,897 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.24% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Columbia safe?
Columbia isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Columbia?
Columbia has cold winters: winter days average around 45°F and summer days around 87°F, with roughly 29″ of snow a year.
Does Columbia get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.36 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Columbia?
The nearest major airport is BWI, about 11 mi away.
How Columbia scores
Each bar compares Columbia with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Columbia right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.