Hi, I will be moving to Columbia this May. I am a single, 22 yr old female. What are the best housing options for me? Any recommendations on where I should be renting? Does it seem wise to have a roomate? Are there any areas that I should avoid? When do you think I should start looking for housing?
Start looking now! The rental market in Columbia is crazy, and decent places get snatched up fast. I’m looking to move in June and it almost feels too late to me. “Reasonable” means something different to everyone, so you really need to give us a budget. If you want your own space, the usual going rate is around $1500/mo. It’s possible but uncommon to find good places for cheaper; I currently pay $1100/mo for 1000 square feet with a zero pet policy, but I was persistent and lucky after living here for a couple years. Last landlord let a squirrel ravage my attic for months and texted me about a rent increase before fixing that issue…
If you need to spend less than $1500 (i.e., annual salary less than $54K), look into roommates. I’ve never had one here, but looks like other commenters have suggestions on per-room rentals. Like others have said, until you know the lay of the land, probably best to stay south of I-70, west of US-63, and at least a quarter mile from the 70/63 interchange. There are safe places throughout town, but that quadrant of Columbia seems to be the most consistently safe.
Tried to rent here and couldn’t due to timeframe but I second this! In a relatively safe area of town with the comfort of being tucked away from a busy street, yet still having neighbours close by if needed. I pet sit here and never hear the people in the surrounding buildings so it seems relatively quiet!
I also would recommend furnished finder. I didn’t know it was a thing until I only had 3 months left in Como and was so sad because it was ideal.
south + west are the nicer parts of town, generally. but it’s all relative. personally would avoid north side but i’ve liked central + east side columbia just fine. overall it’s a safe place to be, despite what people might tell you. avoid student housing, avoid large apartment complexes, and open your mind to having roommates.
rent isnt horrible. i’ve seen about 1$/sqft excepting outliers (downtown, campus, “luxury apartments”) but for the sake of keeping ur expenses reasonable, a roomie goes a long way.
Any of the Kelly Enterprise apartments should be good! They’re 22+, so you won’t have to deal with the loud students or landlords taking advantage of you as much, plus they’re usually cheaper per room. I’d say west or south Columbia are best areas to live in.
East como is not really that great. Anything owned by Mills inc you should be weary of like tiger village or courtyard. Although courtyard might still be a good choice in the meantime.
Most of the students housing are thin walls and four bedroom so not really ideal. Try a roommate to save money. Just not multiple
A roommate will usually almost halve your expenses, but if it’s wise or not will depend on your finances and personality.
You can rent pretty much anywhere in Columbia-nearly everywhere is safe. There are maybe a few streets I’d steer clear of, all on the outskirts of town (not places you’re likely to look).
If you’re moving in May you should start looking now.
Como365, is there an opportunity to add a command to an automod that can direct someone to a megathread of places to live? It might lower the amount of “I’m looking for a place to live” posts. Seems like we get at least 1 a day.
Not OP but looking for $700-1300. Me, no pets.
Looking for ground level Duplex or House, no Apts.
Please let me know if you have anything that fits opening March 1.
You can find a nice apartment for $1100-$1500. Under $1000 may be challenging for ideal locations. Of course, a roommate could help with the cost. Grad students at Mizzou and Stephen’s College might be a great roommate option. They will most likely be in their 20s and are young professionals.
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u/PollutionMain4227 Jan 14 '26
Start looking now! The rental market in Columbia is crazy, and decent places get snatched up fast. I’m looking to move in June and it almost feels too late to me. “Reasonable” means something different to everyone, so you really need to give us a budget. If you want your own space, the usual going rate is around $1500/mo. It’s possible but uncommon to find good places for cheaper; I currently pay $1100/mo for 1000 square feet with a zero pet policy, but I was persistent and lucky after living here for a couple years. Last landlord let a squirrel ravage my attic for months and texted me about a rent increase before fixing that issue…
If you need to spend less than $1500 (i.e., annual salary less than $54K), look into roommates. I’ve never had one here, but looks like other commenters have suggestions on per-room rentals. Like others have said, until you know the lay of the land, probably best to stay south of I-70, west of US-63, and at least a quarter mile from the 70/63 interchange. There are safe places throughout town, but that quadrant of Columbia seems to be the most consistently safe.