Three Missourian reporters and two information graphic artists analyzed pages of data to put together a portrait of who we are as Columbians.
They looked at reports from the U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Bureau of Labor Statistics; state departments that monitor health and education; and other sources to describe the average city resident.
This section is a compilation of their research and details where we live and work; how we spend our food budget; where we play; and how we vote; what we drive; and our primary causes of death. The reporters also talked to more than a dozen Columbians to illustrate the data.