Metropolitan Area

Columbia, MO

Missouri0
58
/100
Hold
#572 of 894 metros
Top 64% nationally for investing

Market Snapshot

$323,951
Median Home Price
27% above national median
$1,427/mo
Median Rent
3% above national median
5.28%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Top 68% nationally
-$771
Est. Monthly Cash Flow
With 20% down at 6.9% rate

Price History

Median Home Price

Median Rent

Trend based on YoY growth rate. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI

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20%
5%50%100%

Purchase

Purchase Price$323,951
Down Payment (20%)$64,790
Loan Amount$259,161
Interest Rate6.85%

Monthly Cash Flow

Gross Rent+$1,427
Monthly P&I-$1,698
Est. Expenses (35%)-$499
Net Cash Flow-$770/mo
3.4%
Cap Rate (all cash)
-12.4%
Cash-on-Cash Return
5.28%
Rent-to-Price Ratio
Negative leverage: At 6.85% rates, borrowing costs exceed the 3.4% cap rate. All-cash buyers may see better returns.

* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.

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Score Breakdown

Overall Investment Score
58/100
58
Cash Flow(30%)
49/100

Based on 5.28% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.

Appreciation(25%)
76/100

Based on 3.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.

Stability(25%)
50/100

Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.

Affordability(20%)
61/100

Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.

Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.

Investment Outlook

Strengths

  • +Low unemployment (0.0%)

Challenges

  • -Below-average rent-to-price ratio (5.28%)
  • -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$771/mo)
  • -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.4% < mortgage rate 6.9%)

Counties in Columbia, MO

County data is being compiled for this metro area.

Compare to Similar Metros

Metro AreaVerdict
Muscatine, IA
Muscatine, IA
78$203,082Est.Strong BuyView
Danville, IL
Danville, IL
78$99,458$89110.75%Strong BuyView
Grenada, MS
Grenada, MS
78$132,409Est.Strong BuyView
Spencer, IA
Spencer, IA
78$195,413Est.Strong BuyView
Selma, AL
Selma, AL
78$90,709Est.Strong BuyView
Current
Columbia, MO
58$323,951$1,4275.28%Hold

Rent vs buy in this metro

Rent vs buy in Columbia, MOMedian $318,843 · rent $1,339/mo

The Bottom Line

HoldColumbia, MO is a neutral market. Consider house hacking or targeting below-market deals in specific counties.

The Columbia, MO metro area scores 58/100, ranking #572 of 894 US metros (top 64%). The 5.28% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.

Monthly Cash Flow
$-771/mo
Cap Rate
3.4%
Cash-on-Cash
-14.3%

Ready to Invest in Columbia, MO?

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