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Ohio city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Columbus?

What it costs to live in Columbus, and how it compares with other Ohio cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

24

112th best value in Ohio

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Ohio cities.

Overall livability

40

88th overall in Ohio

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Columbus is home to about 898,143 people. A typical home runs $174,400 and a household earns around $58,600, a price-to-income ratio of 3.0. Among Ohio's largest cities, it ranks 112th for value and 88th overall.

Columbus at a glance

Median home price

$174,400

110th in OH of 121

Median rent

$1,061/mo

Median household income

$58,600

Home price to income

3.0x

Unemployment

5.4%

72nd in OH of 121

School rating

4/10

61st in OH of 121

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in OH of 121

Walk score

100/100

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‹ See all top Ohio cities ranked  ยท  Ohio state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Ohio only. Updated 2026.