Gundlach-Grosse House · National Register of Historic Places
Columbia’s story
167 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1859Columbia is settled
ColumbiaIL
A town of 11,127, settled in 1859. Public schools that outperform most of Illinois.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0
Population
11,127
+13.3% since 2010
Typical home
$346K
+3.3% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
3,094
A commuter town
What makes Columbia stand out
The 3 things Columbia does most differently from other towns.
A−School Grade
Schools
#51 for schools in IL
of 384 towns
School Grade A−.
Outdoors
#150 most trails in IL
9.0 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
3.2% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Columbia
Health
Healthier than 87%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than IL on 14 measures, worse on 1.
A growing town
Columbia has grown 13.3% since 2010
9,707 people in 2010; 11,127 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Columbia’s report card
Now in Columbia
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Columbia is #686 of 691 in IL for “Coolest summers”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Columbia’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Columbia’s public schools outperform 79% of Illinois districts
The public schools Columbia’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 79% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkview Elementary School | 2–4 | 427 | A |
| Eagleview Elementary School | PK–1 | 259 | Not graded |
| Immaculate Conception Private | PK–8 | 400 | |
| Columbia Middle School | 5–8 | 612 | A− |
| Columbia High School | 9–12 | 606 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduationAll 5 schools →
Outdoors
3.2% of Columbia is conserved land
9.0 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves.
#150for trails in IL
3.2%
conserved · 216 of 6,755 acres
9.0 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Meadow Ridge Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
| 2. Metter Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 3. Bolm Schukraft Park | 0.1 mi | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Columbia beats the Illinois average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
AHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
14 better17 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Columbia | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.6% |
Mercy Hospital South
9.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
87th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
A typical Columbia home is worth about $346K
The typical Columbia home is worth about $346,000, up 3.3% in a year, 16% above the Illinois typical home.
$346KZillow home value
Typical home value
Columbia$346K
Illinois$298K
Market temperature
40
days on market
100.7%
sale-to-list price
+3.3%
value change, 1 year
6
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in eight working residents works right in Columbia
Most working residents leave Columbia for work: only 13% work in town. The top destinations are St. Louis (14%), Belleville (5%) and Waterloo (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
13%work in town
Where working residents work
In Columbia13%
St. Louis14%
Belleville5%
Waterloo3%
Creve Coeur2%
14 mi
median commute distance
3,094
jobs based in Columbia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
Columbia has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–44°
Spring46–67°
Summer67–87°
Fall47–69°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 47% of U.S. communities.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 1993
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A commuter town
87% of working residents leave Columbia for work
Where Columbia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,094jobs based in Columbia
13%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Columbia
City in Illinois, United States
Columbia is a city mainly in Monroe County with a small portion in St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 12 miles (19 km) south of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 10,999 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1859
- Population
- 10,999
- Area
- 10 sq mi
- Elevation
- 709 ft
- ZIP code
- 62236
- Area code
- 618
Columbia’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Columbia.
More about Columbia
Still missing for Columbia:archive photosupcoming events