Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Columbia, TN

    Is Columbia a good place to live?

    Watch Columbia

    Columbia ranks #14 of 28 Tennessee cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (56/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 3.5% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $261,700
    +11.0% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,092
    per month
    Household income
    $61,204
    median
    Unemployment
    2.9%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Columbia

    The median home value in Columbia is $261,700 and median rent is $1,092 a month, against a median household income of $61,204. Homes cost about 4.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Columbia crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Tennessee the 2025 rate was 499 violent and 1,661 property crimes per 100,000 people — #14 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Columbia, TN

    Columbia has about 43,971 residents, 2.9% unemployment and 17% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Columbia with

    Columbia vs NashvilleColumbia vs MemphisColumbia vs KnoxvilleColumbia vs ChattanoogaColumbia vs ClarksvilleColumbia vs MurfreesboroColumbia vs FranklinColumbia vs Johnson City

    More: Where to move in Tennessee · Best counties in Tennessee

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report