The pattern of people moving to Columbia is a distinct characteristic of the city.
Many initially come for school or temporary work, yet find themselves years later driving down the same roads with an entire family, said Yngve Digernes, assistant professor of sociology at Columbia College.
This has meant steady growth for Columbia’s population.
Comparing the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys for 2000 and 2006, the number of family households and non-family households in Columbia has proportionally stayed the same — even with an increased population.
In 2006, family households numbered 20,616, according to the American Community Survey. Non-family households numbered 19,461.
The city’s average family size has remained at 2.5 people.
“The age at first marriage has been increasing, and the population of Columbia is young,” says Marilyn Coleman, professor of human development and family studies at MU. “So, this statistic makes sense.”
As Columbia continues to grow, however, the mix of ages should be moving toward a slightly older population, Coleman said.
With the city trying to attract retirees, the average family size remains relatively small because that group is unlikely to have children living with them.
“Columbia is predictable,” Digernes said, explaining the ebb and flow of people in Columbia. “We are a community that doesn’t experience rapid change.”
Indeed, many Columbia residents are not at the “family” stage, as the population is still predominantly young. The census makes an effort to account for other types of household makeup, as well.
A family, according to a Census Bureau definition, is everyone living in the same household who is related by birth, marriage or adoption. Non-family households are groups of unrelated people living together and can include single individuals living by themselves.
The data also shows that Columbia has almost twice as many single female householders with children, at 4,049, than single male householders with children, which number 2,048.