Living in Columbus
In Columbus (Georgia), the median gross salary is €2,942 a month (2024) and unemployment is 4.1% (2024).
There were 24 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Columbus is in the United States; its population was 203,711 in July 2026. For Columbus, 50.5% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.
More recorded crime than 80% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 88% of American cities that publish it.
Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Columbus?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Median gross rent was US$1,106 per month, while the median home value was US$193,900 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 50.8%, and the vacancy rate was 11.5% in July 2026.
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 22.2 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 56.6 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 853 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 35.12 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 146.9 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross rent | $1,106/month | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 50.49 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 11.54 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,099 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)3Official |
| Median monthly rent | 972.1 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Recorded property crimes | 3,765 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)15Official |
Is Columbus a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
How international is the population?
5.1% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 10,399 of 202,171 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Work and income
Median household income was US$58,073 a year in July 2026.
Columbus 4.1%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 58,073 USD/year | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband | 72.08 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.23 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with internet but no subscription | 2.94 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households without internet | 7.63 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with satellite internet | 4.89 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Median gross salary | 2,942 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | ACS 2024 1-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings), place records4Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.06 %country median 4.6% | 31 Dec 2024 | BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), monthly not-seasonally-adjusted series, 20247Official |
What does a salary buy in Columbus?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €2,339 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31 | − €1,099 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€147 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553) · 2025-12-31 | − €147 |
| Internet€57 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553) · 2025-12-31 | − €57 |
| Mobile plan€35 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553) · 2025-12-31 | − €35 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €1,001 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Columbus. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
American Job Centers — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Columbus. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with high school education or higher | 89.51 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Schools | 53 schools | 30 Jun 2026 | NCES CCD public school count18Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district |
| School enrolment, share of residents | 26.07 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health provider ratio | 0 ratio | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio17Official |
| Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents | 24 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio17Official |
| Preventable hospitalizations | 2,116 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio17Official |
| GP practices | 307 count | 13 Sept 2026 | NPPES Data Dissemination V.2 — September 202621Official |
| Hospitals | 23 count | 30 Sept 2026 | CMS Hospital General Information11Official |
| Pharmacies | 58 count | 13 Sept 2026 | NPPES Data Dissemination V.2 — September 202621Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 373 per 100,000 | 13 Sept 2026 | NPPES Data Dissemination V.2 — September 202621Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Columbus when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 356.1 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | US-FBI-CDE-GA1060100-202427Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,839 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting16Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 612.3 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | US-FBI-CDE-GA1060100-202428Official |
| Recorded violent crimes | 730 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)15Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 20.89 minutes | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by bicycle | 0.3 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by public transport | 0.87 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers walking to work | 1.74 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 1 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights22Official |
| Nearest airport | CSG | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports23Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 8 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports23Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Columbus. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course
U.S. Department of Education
For adult learners, adult English-language learners.
USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For immigrants, future citizens.
Climate and air quality
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Columbus 9.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 9 µg/m³country median 7.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202413Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 14.17 · Feb 16.61 · Mar 20.44 · Apr 24.78 · May 28.5 · Jun 31.67 · Jul 33.22 · Aug 32.44 · Sep 29.94 · Oct 25.28 · Nov 19.78 · Dec 15.44 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202020Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 0.72 · Feb 2.11 · Mar 5.83 · Apr 9.5 · May 14.83 · Jun 19.61 · Jul 21.17 · Aug 20.89 · Sep 17.78 · Oct 11.44 · Nov 5 · Dec 2.39 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202020Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 7.44 · Feb 9.33 · Mar 13.17 · Apr 17.17 · May 21.67 · Jun 25.61 · Jul 27.17 · Aug 26.67 · Sep 23.83 · Oct 18.33 · Nov 12.39 · Dec 8.89 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202020Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 115.1 · Feb 123.2 · Mar 133.1 · Apr 107.4 · May 87.63 · Jun 113.8 · Jul 117.4 · Aug 110.7 · Sep 89.15 · Oct 79.25 · Nov 106.9 · Dec 131.1 mm | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202020Official |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 59.5 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 10.2 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5 monitoring sites | 9 monitors | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| Annual precipitation | 1,128 mm | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Maximum July temperature | 27.92 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Average annual temperature | 18.91 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Minimum January temperature | 11.23 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
Population and city profile
By nationality
National passport94.9%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 5.1 % | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B05002 (Place of Birth by Nativity and Citizenship Status), place records1Official |
| Foreign residents | 10,399 people | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B05002 (Place of Birth by Nativity and Citizenship Status), place records1Official |
| Transit service area population | 230,208 people | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Population density | 360.5 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau10Official |
| Population | 202,171 people | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program26Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 200,622 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)15Official |
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | 193,900 USD | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Owner-occupied homes | 50.84 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 60.78 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Residents born abroad | 5.1 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Naturalized citizens, share of residents | 2.9 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Non-citizens, share of residents | 2.2 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Flu vaccination coverage | 58.86 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage8Official |
| Mammography screening coverage | 76.8 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC mammography screening rate9Official |
| Residents without health insurance | 11.1 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 30.48 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Crime reporting agencies | 1 agencies | 30 Jun 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area |
| Households with a vehicle available | 89.12 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database | 1 agencies | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Transit passenger trips, 2022 | 589,081 trips | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Transit vehicles in peak service, 2022 | 21 vehicles | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 88,531 workers | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers mainly working from home | 12.05 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households using cellular data plans | 82.69 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
Alternatives for people set on Columbus
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Auburn as a Columbus alternative in the same region
52 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, city and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,086 Auburn vs 2,839 Columbus−62%
- Annual PM2.5: 5.1 µg/m³ Auburn vs 9.0 µg/m³ Columbus−43%
- Median gross pay, city: €2,348 Auburn vs €2,942 Columbusno percentage
- Residents: 85,113 Auburn vs 202,171 Columbus−58%
- Nearest airport: 4.0 km Auburn vs 8.0 km Columbus−50%
- Foreign residents: 8.0% Auburn vs 5.1% Columbusno percentage
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €157 Auburn vs €147 Columbus+7%
Overland Park as a Columbus alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 1133 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Median gross pay, city: €4,723 Overland Park vs €2,942 Columbus+61%
- Foreign residents: 11.7% Overland Park vs 5.1% Columbus+130%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,946 Overland Park vs 2,839 Columbus−31%
- Nearest airport: 16.0 km Overland Park vs 8.0 km Columbus+100%
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €202 Overland Park vs €147 Columbus+37%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.6 µg/m³ Overland Park vs 9.0 µg/m³ Columbus−15%
- Residents: 203,677 Overland Park vs 202,171 Columbus+1%
Cities near Columbus
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Salary
- 2,321 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Alternative cities in United States
Other cities in United States to compare with Columbus, nearest in population first.
How does Columbus compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Columbus's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Columbus?
The unemployment rate is 4.06 %. Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), monthly not-seasonally-adjusted series, 2024.
Is the air quality good in Columbus?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.
How safe is Columbus?
Police recorded 2,839 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.
How many people live in Columbus?
The published population is 202,171 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.
How many foreign residents live in Columbus?
10,399 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B05002 (Place of Birth by Nativity and Citizenship Status), place records.
Is Columbus a good place to live?
Columbus may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Columbus?
Phenix City, Cusseta-Chattahoochee County unified government, Smiths Station are near Columbus. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Columbus (Georgia), United States: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 09fc01fbb3e71a4792cb7b82ef22462d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbus-ga/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_columbus-georgia-united-states-population-rent-salary_5ae8c0bba412,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Columbus (Georgia), United States: population, rent, salary},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {09fc01fbb3e71a4792cb7b82ef22462d},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbus-ga/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Columbus (Georgia), United States: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbus-ga/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 09fc01fbb3e71a4792cb7b82ef22462d; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B05002 (Place of Birth by Nativity and Citizenship Status), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- ACS 2024 1-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), monthly not-seasonally-adjusted series, 2024 api.bls.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
Show 23 more sources
- CMS Hospital General Information data.cms.gov · checked 2026-09-15
- EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
- FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
- FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
- HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
- NPPES Data Dissemination V.2 — September 2026 NPPES Data Dissemination V.2 · download.cms.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- TIGERweb ACS2023 — Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (CBSA, January 1 2023) TIGERweb ACS2023 · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb Places (layer 4 incorporated places, layer 5 CDPs; identical query) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-11
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- US-FBI-CDE-GA1060100-2024 cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-15
- US-FBI-CDE-GA1060100-2024 cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-15
- Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbus (Wayback Machine capture 20251206213553) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.