Best Small Towns to Build a Home Near Columbia, Missouri

Columbia is the center of Mid-Missouri, and for a lot of people it is where the job is. But it is not always where they want to build. Land in the city costs more, lots are smaller, and some families just want a quieter street.

The good news is that Columbia is ringed by small towns that keep you close to the city while giving you more room. Here are the ones worth a serious look if you are planning to build, and what each is actually like.

Ashland

Ashland is the fastest growing of the bunch, and it is not hard to see why. It sits on Highway 63 less than 15 minutes from both Columbia and Jefferson City, which makes it the natural pick for households with someone working in each city.

The population went from about 3,700 in 2010 to close to 5,000 today, and new neighborhoods have grown with it. The Southern Boone school district is a big draw, graduating students at a rate well above the state average.

Best for: families who want good schools, a real town with new amenities, and a short commute in either direction. You will find both lots in newer neighborhoods and acreage on the edge of town.

If Ashland is on your list, it helps to talk with local home builders in Ashland, MO who know which parts of town are growing and what building there involves.

Hallsville

About 10 miles north of Columbia, Hallsville is a small town with its own school district running from primary through high school, right in town. That is the main reason families choose it. The district is small, with a graduation rate around 95 percent.

The town has grown steadily, from roughly 1,500 people in 2010 to over 1,600 today, without losing its small-town feel.

Best for: families who want their kids in a small district and are fine with a 15 to 20 minute drive to Columbia for work and shopping.

Harrisburg

Harrisburg is the smallest on this list, a few hundred people in the rolling hills of western Boone County. Its school district is tiny, with graduating classes around 50, and it ranks among the top districts in the county.

Almost nobody builds in a subdivision here. People come for acreage, a shop building, room for animals, and a view of the hills. That means well water, septic systems, and more site work than an in-town lot.

Best for: people who want land and quiet and are comfortable with a rural build.

Hartsburg

Hartsburg is tiny in population but big in character. It is a Katy Trail town near the Missouri River bottoms, best known for the Pumpkin Festival that has drawn crowds every fall since 1991. The town itself is a handful of blocks. The countryside around it, with bluffs and river views, is where people build.

Homeownership in the Hartsburg area is very high, and people who move here tend to stay.

Best for: anyone who wants a home with a view, a slower pace, and about a 30 minute drive to Columbia.

Jefferson City

Jefferson City is not a small town, it is the state capital, with about 42,500 people. But it belongs on this list because a lot of people who work in state government or the Columbia area want to build somewhere in between or on the Jeff City side.

It has established neighborhoods with real history, like Old Munichburg south of downtown, and new construction filling in across Cole and Callaway counties. The city has been pushing for new housing.

Best for: people who want city amenities, mature neighborhoods, and a capital-city job market, about half an hour from Columbia.

How to choose

Start with the commute and drive it at the hour you would actually drive it. Then look at schools, then utilities, since in-town lots usually have city water and sewer while acreage means a well and septic. Finally, walk the land. A lot that looks perfect online can look very different after a heavy rain.

And talk to a builder who works in these towns. Every one of them has its own quirks in permitting, soil, and which neighborhoods are growing. A builder who knows the ground saves you from learning it the hard way.

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