Population
Columbia
105,871
The Woodlands
116,916
Median Income
Columbia
$129,173
The Woodlands
$141,353
Home Value
Columbia
$480,300
The Woodlands
$479,400
Rent
Columbia
$1,998
The Woodlands
$1,792
Crime Rate
Columbia
N/A
The Woodlands
N/A
Cost of Living
Columbia
185.2
The Woodlands
201.9
Avg Temp
Columbia
N/A
The Woodlands
N/A
Unemployment
Columbia
4.5%
The Woodlands
4.9%
How Similar Are Columbia & The Woodlands?
The Woodlands is Columbia's #2 most similar city
6 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Columbia
105,871
The Woodlands
116,916
Both cities have similar populations — Columbia at 105,871 and The Woodlands at 116,916.
Political Leaning
Columbia
27.4%
The Woodlands
46.4%
Both cities lean Democratic, but The Woodlands has a stronger Democratic lean (41% difference).
Unemployment
Columbia
4.5%
The Woodlands
4.9%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 9% difference.
Median Income
Columbia
$129,173
The Woodlands
$141,353
Both cities have similar median income — just a 9% difference.
Home Values
Columbia
$480,300
The Woodlands
$479,400
Both cities have similar home values — just a 0% difference.
Education
Columbia
44.5%
The Woodlands
42.8%
Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.
Demographics
Columbia
46.0%
The Woodlands
70.2%
The Woodlands has a 34% higher demographics than Columbia.
Cost of Living
Columbia
185.2
The Woodlands
201.9
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 8% difference.
6 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Columbia and The Woodlands share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Columbia
0
The Woodlands
The Woodlands leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Columbia leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDColumbia scores 138.7 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 216.1 in The Woodlands. The Woodlands has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,573 vs $1,857 in Columbia (18% lower). The Woodlands has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,323 vs $1,511 in Columbia (14% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — The Woodlands leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSColumbia has a median property tax of $5,969 vs $8,161 in The Woodlands (27% lower). The Woodlands has a single-family homes of 79.2% compared to 65.5% in Columbia. Columbia has a vacancy rate of 4.9% compared to 5.8% in The Woodlands.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — The Woodlands leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSThe Woodlands has a poverty rate of 5.6% compared to 7.4% in Columbia. The Woodlands has a government sector of 49.0% compared to 36.9% in Columbia. Columbia has a work from home of 22.3% compared to 18.6% in The Woodlands.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Columbia leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauColumbia has a high school diploma or higher of 52.8% compared to 49.5% in The Woodlands. Columbia has a bachelor's degree or higher of 44.5% compared to 42.8% in The Woodlands.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSThe Woodlands has a population of 116,916, about 1.1x the size of Columbia (105,871). Columbia skews younger with a median age of 39.1 vs 40.5.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Columbia
The Woodlands
Healthcare — The Woodlands leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareThe Woodlands: 3.7 vs Columbia: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5). The Woodlands: 4 vs Columbia: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSColumbia has a public transit of 2.9% compared to 1.3% in The Woodlands. The Woodlands has a bicycle of 0.1% compared to 0.1% in Columbia. Columbia has a work from home of 22.3% compared to 18.6% in The Woodlands.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
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.