Missouri

Living wage in Columbia, Missouri

Most of Columbia is in Boone County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $23.27 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$23.27/hrBoone County standard
At Columbia's middle rent$23.27/hrstudio rent $770 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Boone County

Across the 8 ZIP codes in Columbia with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $750 to $790 a month. At the middle rent, $770, a full-time job would need to pay $23.27 an hour before taxes.

ZIP codes in Columbia

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
65201Boone County$770/mo$23.27/hr
65202Boone County$770/mo$23.27/hr
65203Boone County$790/mo$23.93/hr
65205Boone County$750/mo$22.62/hr
65211Boone County$750/mo$22.62/hr
65215Boone County$770/mo$23.27/hr
65216Boone County$770/mo$23.27/hr
65299Boone County$750/mo$22.62/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Columbia, Missouri?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Columbia needs to pay at least $23.27 an hour before taxes, about $48,411 a year. That is the figure for Boone County, where the typical studio rent is $770 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 8 ZIP codes in Columbia with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $750 to $790 a month. At the middle rent of $770, the pay needed would be $23.27 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Boone County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 1.6 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads