Columbus, Ohio
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Columbus.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Columbus compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 906,480City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $65,327Incorporated place (ACS)17% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 84ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)16% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $234,500City limits (ACS)23% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,224City limits (ACS)9% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 2.7%County LAUS · not city-only1.5 pts below U.S. avgU.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 23 min8% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 419% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 503.4annualized per 100k · citywide16% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3308annualized per 100k · citywide7% above U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 84°F3.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 25°F9.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 41.6 in26% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 22416% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Columbus with another city
Great Lakes industry towns and Midwestern seasons still set the tone. Expect summer highs near 84°F and winter lows around 25°F. Average one-way commute time is about 23 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 41/100. A recent county unemployment reading near 2.7% suggests a relatively tight local labor market. Violent-offense rates near 503.4 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Relocators eyeing Columbus, Ohio will find roughly 906,480 residents within city limits. With median income around $65,327 and a cost index of 84, the market reads among the more affordable large markets in this catalog on housing costs. Budget for median rents around $1,224 a month before you lock a neighborhood.
Columbus sits in that mid-to-large city band where urban and quieter residential pockets often share one municipal boundary. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Columbus with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Columbus city, 1600000US3918000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN390490000000003 (Franklin County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00014821 COLUMBUS PORT COLUMBUS INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28