Lowndes County · Mississippi · South · 23k residents
Columbus, MS: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Columbus: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Mississippi median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,140/wk. Mississippi's corporate income tax rate is 5%. Commercial electricity averages 12.3¢/kWh.
Compare Columbus side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,140/wk
Corporate income tax
5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
26.2%
Commercial electricity
12.3¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Columbus's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
62/100
Steady
Ranks Columbus's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $125,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $120 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $691/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $898/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.89% |
| Sales tax | 7.07% |
| Corporate income tax | 5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,140/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% |
| Commercial electricity | 12.3¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 27.1/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $95,330 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $77,090 |
| Wage: General manager | $106,680 |
| Wage: Customer service | $36,380 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,270 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $51,820 |
| Wage: Electrician | $60,860 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $28,640 |
| Cost of living index | 72 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $40/mo |
| Gas price | $2.85/gal |
| Healthcare index | 90 |
| Childcare (per child) | $700/mo |
| Median household income | $42,235 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% |
| Population | 23k |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 4.5/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 81/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 94°F |
| January low | 36°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.3% |
| Home price MoM | +0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +0.8% |
| Rent MoM | -0.8% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +2.3% |
| Building permits YoY | -33.3% |
| Ocean coast | 221 mi |
| Big lake | 155 mi |
| Mountains | 151 mi |
| Major airport | 97 mi |
| Ski resort | 316 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Starkville, MS · 26k
- Tupelo, MS · 38k
- Meridian, MS · 34k
- Oxford, MS · 26k
- Madison, MS · 28k
Similar size
- Ridgeland, MS · 25k
- Pascagoula, MS · 22k
- Brandon, MS · 26k
- Vicksburg, MS · 21k
- Horn Lake, MS · 27k
Real listings in Columbus
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Columbus a good place to run a business?
- Mississippi's corporate income tax rate is 5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,140/wk; commercial electricity averages 12.3¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Columbus, MS?
- Columbus indexes at 72 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $898/mo and a acs median home value of $125,700.
- How much does a house cost in Columbus?
- The acs median home value in Columbus is $125,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Columbus?
- A two-bedroom in Columbus rents for about $898/mo.