Living in Columbia, TN
Small city in Tennessee
Columbia is a small city in Tennessee, home to about 44,000 people, with 318,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Columbia a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Low taxes: no state income tax, 0.55% property tax
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $359k and rents for $1,700 a month
- Mild summers: highs around 88°F
👎 Cons
- Fewer graduates: 24% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer family amenities than most places
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 $359k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,700 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 96, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Columbia?
Tennessee has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 0.55% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Columbia safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Columbia?
Columbia has cool winters: winter days average around 51°F and summer days around 88°F.
Does Columbia get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, earthquakes and tornadoes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.99 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Columbia?
The nearest major airport is BNA, about 40 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.