Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0114 homes sold in Columbia in the last year, at a typical $325K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Columbia homes are listed.
Every place Columbia homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Columbia.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 96% of Columbia’s sales, at a typical $332K
114 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 109 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $157IL $180
- Days to sell
- 43
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 20%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $395K
Condos: 4 sold, typical $228K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 1.4 times the 2016 price
114 sales in the last year, against 197 in 2020 and a low of 119 in 2025. The typical sale went from $226K in 2016 to $325K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $350K buys in Columbia
Check a listing against what Columbia homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Columbia are more common than before the pandemic, but two thirds fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Columbia’s home sales since 2013 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 114 sales.
If you’re buying in Columbia
- Shop in May. It brings about 14 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (24% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 19% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.9% of the list price on average; 32% paid over.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 15 a month), but June is the most competitive: 35% of June sales close over asking. April and May offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (25%). January has the least competition (22%) but only about 9 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Illinois as a whole
| Columbia now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 32% | 23% | 41% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | — | — | — | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 19% | 18% | 13% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.9% | 98.3% | 100.1% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 42 | 60 | 46 | 49 |
15 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 65% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2018’s 44.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
19% in the last year, against 18% in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Since 2019, houses are up 38%, condos 45%
A house typically sold for $332K in the last year (109 sales), a condo for $228K (4).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Columbia ranks 227th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Columbia is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2013 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Columbia home costs about $2,191 a month
Price: Columbia’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Columbia’s 1.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Columbia is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in August
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 6.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $325K home, about $5,940 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Columbia, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ColumbiaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Columbia.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Dupo, Lemay, Millstadt and St. George sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Columbia, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | 396 | $352K | $169 | 48% | 18 |
| Mehlville | 337 | $246K | $166 | 48% | 18 |
| Lemay | 280 | $170K | $143 | 46% | 28 |
| Columbia | 114 | $325K | $157 | 32% | 42 |
| Dupo | 57 | $171K | $107 | 32% | 56 |
| Millstadt | 52 | $293K | $145 | 46% | 48 |
| St. George | 38 | $172K | $152 | 34% | 43 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Columbia, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Columbia. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Columbia with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Columbia
What do homes sell for in Columbia, IL?
114 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $325K, $157 a square foot.
Is Columbia a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 15 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 6 sold, about 2.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.9% of asking on average, and 19% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Columbia?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Columbia?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $325K home that’s near $5,940.
Where can I see homes for sale in Columbia?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Columbia’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Columbia.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).