More than 90,000 people call Columbia home — but what was “home” before all of us moved here?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey, three out of 10 Columbia residents lived in a different residence somewhere in the United States during the previous year.
The same data shows that more than 38,900 people moved to Boone County, with a net growth of 2,150 people. The median household income for people moving away from Boone County is higher than for people moving in by about $4,300.
However, the number of people moving into Boone County is still greater than the number moving out, so the county experiences a net growth in terms of household income.
After several years in a suburb of Austin, Texas, Lorraine Phillips and her husband, Win, moved to Columbia in August. They were happy to move to a place where the seasons bring a noticeable change in temperature.
Aside from their professional positions at MU, both have found Columbia refreshingly convenient.
“We were not interested in big cities with long commutes,” Phillips said. “We were looking at the climate, obviously the job positions, the topography, a small-town feel and quality-of-life issues.”
Although the move was seamless, the readjustment to the new school system did have a small knot. The Phillips’ middle-school daughter had to quickly acquaint herself with the different style of classes.
Unlike Texas, the honors math class in Columbia meets at 7 a.m., or “zero-hour,” before the regular school day even starts.
Wendy Reinke and Keith Herman both moved from downtown Baltimore, to join the MU department of educational, school and counseling psychology. Only 15 other mid-Atlantic state natives moved to Boone County, according to the recent data.
“They are amazing and are already out in the community making a difference,” said Megan Ryder, director of external relations at MU’s College of Education about Wendy and Keith.
Like the Phillips, the couple left behind the hustle of a big city, which was not deemed suitable for their 9-month-old child.
“We wanted to move to a more family friendly environment,” Reinke said. “Columbia had lots of opportunities for reasonable baby-sitting and day-care options, and there’s lots of access to nature and parks.”