States › Tennessee › Columbia

Is Columbia, TN expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 21 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,20731% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$68,721about $5,727/month · 21% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$308,7007% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 76% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.5 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $48,280 a year. That is $23 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Tennessee cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Tennessee. It is number 49 of 114 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Columbia
$1,207
Brentwood
$3,500+
Lebanon
$1,525
Gallatin
$1,619
Cleveland
$1,231
Mount Juliet
$1,994
Germantown
$2,820

How much do households earn in Columbia?

Under $25k
15.8%
$25k–50k
23.3%
$50k–100k
35.9%
$100k–150k
13.2%
$150k+
4.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 17.9% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Columbia

SizeColumbiaU.S. average
1 bedroom$1,126$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,213$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,377$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,995$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Columbia overall?

Everyday prices in Tennessee overall are 8% below the U.S. average (index 91.9, U.S. = 100).

Housing
79
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
72
Other services
95
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Columbia, so the Tennessee figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Columbia

🏛️ Property tax$1,546a year · 0.50% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$192a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Columbia

Commute to work28 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree25.4%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home63.3%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line14.2%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2.6%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbia?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $935 a month less.

Renting
$1,207
Owning
$2,142

Owning assumes a typical $308,700 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $30,870 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Columbia, TN?

Renting in Columbia costs a median of about $1,207 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Tennessee median is $1,279.

How much do I need to make to live in Columbia?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $48,280 a year, or $23 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Columbia cheap or expensive?

Columbia is rated OK: rent takes 21.1% of the typical household income of $68,721. It ranks 49th cheapest of 114 Tennessee cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Columbia?

The median homeowner in Columbia pays $1,546 a year in property taxes, about 0.50% of the median home value.

Is Columbia more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Tennessee are 8% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Columbia?

The median home value in Columbia is $308,700, about 4.5 times the typical yearly household income.

45,441 people live in Columbia. Numbers are typical (middle) values.