Town file
Columbia, Illinois
Columbia, Illinois (Monroe County, Illinois) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 415, "Dirty Desires, Killer Consequences" (17 August 2023). Columbia is a small city in Monroe County in the extreme south-west of Illinois, a suburb about twenty minutes from St Louis, Missouri, and the episode presents it as a safe, family-oriented place.
- Town
- Columbia
- County
- Monroe County
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 415
- Approximate location
- 38.458, -90.216
Episode 415 / 17 August 2023 / 178 min / full
Dirty Desires, Killer Consequences
"This is in southwestern Illinois, like extreme southwestern Illinois. It's a suburb of St. Louis... This is in Monroe County." about 0:05:09
The case: Murders of Sherry, Garrett and Gavin Coleman (May 5, 2009). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 11,090
- Median age
- 40.3
- Median household income
- $65,286
- Median home value
- $267,600
- Two-bedroom rent
- $950 a month
- Cost of living
- pretty close to the national average
- Religious
- 65%
- Property crime
- ▼ about half the national average
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one-third of the national average
History, in brief
- Incorporated in 1859 as a small farming settlement. about 0:06:49
- Occupied by various Native Americans for 12,000 years. about 0:06:55
- The land beside the Mississippi River was fertile, which drew settlers. about 0:07:06
- Germans arrived in covered wagons from the eastern states, and the town became known as a German haven. about 0:07:21
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Lived there for 15 years; safe, good schools, mostly friendly people, close to South County and the best kept secret in the region."about 0:07:55
5 stars
"Not raised in Columbia but considers it her hometown; an all-American city where neighbours help neighbours and everyone is a fiend, apparently meaning friend."about 0:08:11
3 stars
"Too safe, which provides people with a false sense of security."about 0:09:26
4 stars
"Satisfied needs do not motivate; the eagle lands at midnight."about 0:10:19
3 stars
"Lives in an apartment that allows pets; Concept Realty owns most of the rentals, no dogs, they overprice and the writer feels very isolated."about 0:10:47
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Fenton, Missouri14 miles
- Festus, Missouri20 miles
- Troy, Illinois25 miles
- Bonne Terre, Missouri41 miles
- New Florence, Missouri74 miles
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri87 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.