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CityLedger

Auburn vs Columbia

Metro-area medians — Auburn-Opelika, AL Metro Area vs Columbia, MO Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Columbia comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 6 clearly-decided measures.

Auburn and Columbia cost about the same to live in, but Columbia households earn about 17% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Columbia.

Their widest everyday difference: the typical commute is shorter in Columbia — about 19.8 min versus 23 min.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Auburn, AL
$57,754
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$65,679
real value after local prices
Columbia, MO
$58,705
take-home / yr · 22% to tax
$65,637
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Auburn leaves you about $42/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Auburn
Columbia
Livability (CityLedger)
55/100
74/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
87.9
89.4
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$77,714
$89,606
Median household income
$68,336
$80,142
Median rent
$1,111/mo
$1,115/mo
Median home value
$288,600
$289,500
Unemployment
3.4%
3.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
43.1%
49.4%
Average commute
23 min
19.8 min
Air quality (median AQI)
—
39
Avg temperature
65°F
56°F

Choose Auburn for

  • No clear edge
Full Auburn profile →

Choose Columbia for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full Columbia profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Auburn and Columbia on cost, income, size, and education.

Auburn vs Athens→Auburn vs Blacksburg→Auburn vs Hattiesburg→Columbia vs Iowa City→Columbia vs Lincoln→Columbia vs Bloomington→

Auburn vs Columbia — frequently asked

Is Auburn cheaper than Columbia?
They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Auburn and Columbia metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Auburn or Columbia?
Columbia has the higher median household income — $80,142 versus $68,336 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 17% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Auburn or Columbia?
A paycheck stretches further in Columbia. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $89,606 there versus $77,714 in Auburn.
Which has cheaper rent, Auburn or Columbia?
Rents are close — $1,111/mo in the Auburn metro versus $1,115/mo in Columbia (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).