Population

Columbia

105,871

Fair Oaks

35,472

Median Income

Columbia

$129,173

Fair Oaks

$119,387

Home Value

Columbia

$480,300

Fair Oaks

$580,500

Rent

Columbia

$1,998

Fair Oaks

$2,242

Crime Rate

Columbia

N/A

Fair Oaks

N/A

Cost of Living

Columbia

185.2

Fair Oaks

199.1

Avg Temp

Columbia

N/A

Fair Oaks

N/A

Unemployment

Columbia

4.5%

Fair Oaks

5.4%

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How Similar Are Columbia & Fair Oaks?

Fair Oaks is Columbia's #10 most similar city

4/8

4 of 8 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Columbia

105,871

vs

Fair Oaks

35,472

Different · 66% difference

Columbia (105,871) is about 3.0x larger than Fair Oaks (35,472).

Political Leaning

Columbia

27.4%

vs

Fair Oaks

31.1%

Different · 12% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Fair Oaks has a stronger Democratic lean (12% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Columbia

4.5%

vs

Fair Oaks

5.4%

Different · 17% difference

Fair Oaks has a 17% higher unemployment than Columbia.

Median Income

Columbia

$129,173

vs

Fair Oaks

$119,387

Match · 8% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 8% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Columbia

$480,300

vs

Fair Oaks

$580,500

Different · 17% difference

Fair Oaks has a 17% higher home values than Columbia.

Education

Columbia

44.5%

vs

Fair Oaks

48.7%

Match · 9% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 9% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Columbia

46.0%

vs

Fair Oaks

44.4%

Match · 4% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 4% difference.

Cost of Living

Columbia

185.2

vs

Fair Oaks

199.1

Match · 7% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.

4 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Columbia and Fair Oaks share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Columbia

vsof 8

0

Fair Oaks

Fair Oaks leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Columbia leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Columbia has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,511 vs $2,015 in Fair Oaks (25% lower). Columbia scores 138.7 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 182.5 in Fair Oaks. Columbia has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,857 vs $2,246 in Fair Oaks (17% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Columbia185.2
Fair Oaks199.1

Housing Index

Columbia237.0
Fair Oaks268.5

Food Index

Columbia148.7
Fair Oaks141.3

Transportation Index

Columbia138.7
Fair Oaks182.5

Healthcare Index

Columbia139.0
Fair Oaks133.0

Utilities Index

Columbia156.6
Fair Oaks158.5

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Columbia$81,506
Fair Oaks$87,589

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Columbia$192,651
Fair Oaks$207,029

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Columbia$1,511
Fair Oaks$2,015

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Columbia$1,857
Fair Oaks$2,246

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbia has a single-family homes of 65.5% compared to 38.2% in Fair Oaks. Columbia has a owner-occupied of 64.9% compared to 44.0% in Fair Oaks. Fair Oaks has a vacancy rate of 3.6% compared to 4.9% in Columbia.

Median Home Value

Columbia$480,300
Fair Oaks$580,500

Median Rent

Columbia$1,998
Fair Oaks$2,242

Median Property Tax

Columbia$5,969
Fair Oaks$5,907

Owner-Occupied

Columbia64.9%
Fair Oaks44.0%

Vacancy Rate

Columbia4.9%
Fair Oaks3.6%

Single-Family Homes

Columbia65.5%
Fair Oaks38.2%

Jobs & Economy — Fair Oaks leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbia: 60,493 vs Fair Oaks: 22,985 for labor force. Fair Oaks has a poverty rate of 5.5% compared to 7.4% in Columbia. Columbia has a unemployment rate of 4.5% compared to 5.4% in Fair Oaks.

Median Household Income

Columbia$129,173
Fair Oaks$119,387

Per Capita Income

Columbia$62,614
Fair Oaks$66,370

Poverty Rate

Columbia7.4%
Fair Oaks5.5%

Unemployment Rate

Columbia4.5%
Fair Oaks5.4%

Labor Force

Columbia60,493
Fair Oaks22,985

Mean Commute

Columbia22 min
Fair OaksN/A

Work from Home

Columbia22.3%
Fair Oaks26.8%

Private Sector

Columbia81.8%
Fair Oaks89.2%

Government Sector

Columbia36.9%
Fair Oaks40.3%

Crime & Safety

Source: FBI UCR

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Murder Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Assault Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Violent Crime Clearance

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Property Crime Clearance

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Avg Annual High

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Avg Annual Low

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Sunny Days per Year

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Annual Rainfall

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Annual Snowfall

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Avg Humidity

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Schools & Education — Fair Oaks leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Fair Oaks has a bachelor's degree or higher of 48.7% compared to 44.5% in Columbia. Fair Oaks has a high school diploma or higher of 54.5% compared to 52.8% in Columbia.

Public Schools

Columbia0
Fair Oaks0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

ColumbiaN/A
Fair OaksN/A

Colleges & Universities

Columbia0
Fair Oaks0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Columbia44.5%
Fair Oaks48.7%

High School Diploma or Higher

Columbia52.8%
Fair Oaks54.5%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbia has a population of 105,871, about 3x the size of Fair Oaks (35,472). Fair Oaks skews younger with a median age of 35.3 vs 39.1.

Population

Columbia105,871
Fair Oaks35,472

Median Age

Columbia39
Fair Oaks35

Avg Household Size

Columbia2.6
Fair Oaks2.3

Married Population

Columbia41.1%
Fair Oaks41.7%

Foreign Born

Columbia20.8%
Fair Oaks36.5%

White

Columbia46.0%
Fair Oaks44.4%

Black

Columbia29.0%
Fair Oaks12.0%

Hispanic

Columbia9.4%
Fair Oaks10.9%

Asian

Columbia11.8%
Fair Oaks29.8%

Columbia

Fair Oaks

Healthcare — Fair Oaks leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Fair Oaks: 4.3 vs Columbia: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Columbia5
Fair Oaks5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Columbia2.7
Fair Oaks4.3

With Emergency Services

Columbia3
Fair Oaks3

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbia has a public transit of 2.9% compared to 1.6% in Fair Oaks. Fair Oaks has a bicycle of 0.1% compared to 0.1% in Columbia. Fair Oaks has a work from home of 26.8% compared to 22.3% in Columbia.

Mean Commute Time

Columbia22 min
Fair OaksN/A

Drive Alone

Columbia66.3%
Fair Oaks64.1%

Public Transit

Columbia2.9%
Fair Oaks1.6%

Bicycle

Columbia0.1%
Fair Oaks0.1%

Work from Home

Columbia22.3%
Fair Oaks26.8%

Airports

Columbia0
Fair Oaks0

Cities Similar to Columbia, MD

Compare Columbia against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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