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Engaging Columbia, Missouri
Invites Retirees to Enjoy its Affordability, Small Town Ambiance,
Plentiful Cultural Amenities, Excellent Health Facilities and High
Quality of Life
Cost of Living: Below the National Average
| Once the stomping grounds of Daniel
Boone, leafy Columbia, Missouri (population 100,000) is
located roughly half way between Kansas City and St.
Louis and started out as a stage stop along the Santa Fe
and Oregon Trails. Early town leaders, though, had
bigger plans in mind and set aside land for a state
university. In 1840, the University of
Missouri (population 30,000) was established, and it was
the beginning of Columbia becoming an education hub.
Two more colleges opened, including the first women's
college west of the Mississippi, and at one time,
Columbia's population was larger than that of St. Louis.
Today, this pleasant city, with a mix of Southern
sensibilities and Midwestern common sense, often lands
on lists of the best places to live. The
population is educated (50% have an undergraduate or
graduate degree), and Columbians, as they are known,
have a reputation for friendliness. A
lower-than-average cost-of-living, plentiful cultural
activities and outstanding health care add to Columbia's
appeal. Of the population, 25% is age 45 or
better.
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The median home price in Columbia
is $172,000, below the national median but higher than
the Midwest's median. The city is growing, nearly
12% in the last ten years, but the overall
cost-of-living remains 15% below the national average.
Homes are readily available and come in all shapes and
sizes, including single-family homes, condominiums, town
homes, apartments and manufactured homes.
There are older neighborhoods closer into campus and
newer subdivisions, particularly on the north and south
edges of town. The median price will purchase a
very comfortable, 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes in one of the
newer subdivisions. More modest but
well-maintained homes in older neighborhoods can be
found for less than $100,000. Brand new,
brick homes with 2,500 square feet, cathedral ceilings,
granite countertops and marble foyers are available in
the $300,000 range. TigerPlace
is an independent living community with patio homes and
cottages for lease.
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When it comes to property taxes, residents pay roughly $6.52 per
$100 assessed value, and property is assessed at 19% of fair market
value. The taxes on a $172,000 house would be
approximately $2,130 per year. The
Homestead Preservation Credit gives qualified senior citizens a credit
on their real estate property tax if those taxes increase 2.5% in a
non-reassessment year or 5% in a reassessment year.
Regarding retirement income taxes, residents age 62+ with Social
Security benefits and private retirement benefits receive deductions
for those benefits on their state income tax return.
The sales tax in Columbia is 7.35%, and overall, Missouri has the 9th
lowest tax burden of all 50 states.
This is an
interactive map. Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs
(more than once if necessary) to zoom in
and out.
The slightly bohemian downtown area is known as The
District and is ringed by three colleges. It has an eclectic mix
of restaurants, shops, art galleries, boutiques, sidewalk cafes, jazz
clubs, movie houses and coffee shops. The Twilight Festivals in
June and September attract thousands of people for food, fun and
entertainment. Columbia is a youthful, left-leaning place, and
the University gives it a definite energy. It has a lovely 1,350
acre campus, and with more than 5,000 trees and 650 varieties of plant
life, it is a great choice for an afternoon picnic or stroll.
The University of Missouri Tigers give sports fans
plenty of events and competitions to attend, particularly in the fall
when football season arrives. Columbians also enjoy three private golf
courses and three public courses, as well as 47 parks and greenbelts;
outdoor-minded retirees particularly take to the MKT Nature Trail, a 5
mile urban walking trail through dense woods. Finger Lakes
State Park, Rock Bridge State Park and Grindstone Nature Area are all
close by and provide quiet spots for hiking, camping and fishing.
There are a number of shopping malls, including Columbia Mall which
has a Dillards, a Penny's, a Sears, a Barnes and Noble and 140 other
stores. The Daniel Boone Regional Library
receives great reviews for its beautiful building, helpful staff,
expansive book collection and cozy cafe. It also has
public computers and free wifi Internet access. Columbia has 90
houses of worship, and the crime rate meets the national average.
Columbia may have a small town feeling, but it has a
taste for culture. The Missouri Art Gallery is home to
limited-edition prints and sculpture from internationally known
artists. The University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archeology
houses 13,000 works of art and artifacts. The Walters-Boone
County Historical Museum features fine art and a genealogical research
library. Art in the Park is an annual (June) art fair that draws
more than 90 painters, sculptors and potters. The yearly
Columbia Festival of the Arts (each September) is a celebration of
literary, visual and performing arts. The True False Film
Festival each February is a celebration of film with screenings,
parties and workshops by filmmakers and critics. The Blind Boone
Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival, and the Heritage Festival, featuring
exhibits honoring Lewis and Clark’s legacy, are also fun.
More music festivals, fairs and holiday celebrations throughout the
year make Columbia a lively spot. It is a friendly place,
gaining in sophistication, and it is an easy place to live. Town
leaders also know that managing growth is essential to maintaining the
quality of life and they have instituted a growth management plan.
City traffic is not bad, and bicycling is easy, but Columbia has a
good bus system and a "curb to curb" service for disabled
residents. Bus fares are $1 for adults (up to age 64) and $.50
for seniors. For those who want to leave town, but not by bus,
Columbia Regional Airport has daily flights to Kansas City and St.
Louis.
The first Columbia hospital opened in Dr. William Jewel's home in
1822. Nearly two hundred years later, Columbia has
six major hospitals and is second only to Rochester, Minnesota, in
patient capacity per capita. One in six residents works in
a health-related profession, and the physician density is three times
the national average. Of the six hospitals, University of
Missouri Health Care operates four of them (Columbia Regional
Hospital, University of Missouri Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center
and University of Missouri Children’s Hospital). Boone
Hospital, not associated with the University, is an award-winning
facility (Distinguished Hospital Award - Clinical Excellence for 2010)
and beats or exceed national averages in nearly all specialty areas.
There are ten residential care facilities and nine skilled nursing
care homes, as well as the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veteran's
Hospital.
The Columbia Senior Center provides many community services and
activities, including dances, card games, movies, health screenings
and reasonably-priced meals. The Boone County Council on Aging
is a referral agency and helps retirees find local services and
programs. Opportunities to volunteer are in
abundance and include working with kids through the Parks and
Recreation Department, assisting with various Neighborhood Watch
programs or working with the Columbia Hospitality Corps.
The University of Missouri also has a program called Easy Access which
lets people, including seniors, study part-time in a number of
University departments if they are not interested in actively pursuing
a degree.
This region of the country has four seasons and receives 3 to 4
inches of precipitation per month, including several inches of snow
each month from December to March. Summer temperatures reach the
low-90s, and it can get sticky. Winter temperatures dip into the
20s and 30s. The sun shines 192 days of the year.
Air quality meets the national average and water quality beats the
national average.
Columbia has its drawbacks. The number of students and the
fact that many businesses cater to them is not everyone's cup of tea.
The city is somewhat isolated - it is a two hour drive in either
direction to reach a large metropolitan center, and air service is
rather limited. The humidity is high.
Apartments are generally not available because most are continually
rented by students. Urban sprawl is evident despite city
plans to control it. The city has a 60% greater than
average chance of being hit by a tornado. Despite an economy
being tied to higher education and health care, the unemployment rate
is above the national average.
Even with these negatives, Columbia has a lot to offer and at a
reasonable price. For retirees seeking a friendly small
Midwestern city with a good selection of affordable housing and a
lively cultural scene, Columbia is worth a look.
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