What it's like to live in Columbus
Columbus is a smaller city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Columbus deals with cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Columbus compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Columbus
Based on Columbus's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,314
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,280 a year
- 40% of Columbus renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$48,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,420
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,157/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,157 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $244,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $244,200 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 73% below US
88 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1228/100k · Columbus Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 11% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 40% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is William Howard Taft National Historic Site (76 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Columbus's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,157/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Columbus
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