Franklin County · Ohio · Midwest · 915k residents
Columbus, OH: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Columbus: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Ohio median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Columbus is $280,000, 37% above the Ohio median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 92 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $62,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A growing Ohio capital with a university pulse, a strong food scene, and neighborhood-scale creativity.
Known for: Ohio State, German Village, science and arts institutions, and independent restaurants.
Calendar note: The city highlights the Columbus Arts Festival and community festivals across the metro.
Story source: Experience Columbus
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Columbus about 95 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 179 sunny days and 19 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 41 and an average commute of 23 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Columbus side by side
Cost of living index
92
Median home value
$280,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,500/mo
Median household income
$62,000
Housing momentum
How fast Columbus's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
28/100
Cooling
Ranks Columbus's home-price and rent 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. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Columbus's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $280,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $180 |
| Property tax rate | 1.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,200/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,500/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.41% |
| Sales tax | 7.5% |
| Cost of living index | 92 |
| Groceries index | 96 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $62/mo |
| Gas price | $3.20/gal |
| Healthcare index | 92 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,100/mo |
| Median household income | $62,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% |
| Population | 915k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 41/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 23 min |
| Sunny days / year | 179 days |
| July high | 86°F |
| January low | 22°F |
| Annual snowfall | 19 in |
| Home price YoY | -0.7% |
| Home price MoM | -0.4% |
| Rent YoY | +1.0% |
| Rent MoM | 0.0% |
| Ocean coast | 434 mi |
| Big lake | 95 mi |
| Mountains | 210 mi |
| Major airport | 11 mi |
| Ski resort | 119 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Westerville, OH · 39k
- Dublin, OH · 49k
- Upper Arlington, OH · 36k
- Gahanna, OH · 35k
- Hilliard, OH · 38k
Similar size
- Cleveland, OH · 366k
- Cincinnati, OH · 311k
- Toledo, OH · 267k
- Akron, OH · 189k
- Dayton, OH · 137k
Real listings in Columbus
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Columbus, OH?
- Columbus indexes at 92 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,500/mo and a median home value of $280,000.
- How much does a house cost in Columbus?
- The median home value in Columbus is $280,000, 37% above the Ohio median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Columbus?
- A two-bedroom in Columbus rents for about $1,500/mo.