Columbus, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbus, GA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 203,480 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 920.7 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.6 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 81,303 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbus grew by 7.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 203,480 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbus is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.3% of residents. That is 0.6 points above Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 47,391 23.3% +0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 45,396 22.3% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 36,558 18.0% -2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,512 14.5% -0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Georgia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.7% of the people living in Columbus and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 48.3% Georgia 48.8%
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100% of everyone living in Columbus
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Economy
Columbus has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,110 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.90% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbus is about 25% lower than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $145,914 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,106 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.8% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbus is about 11.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,106 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbus spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.9 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,638 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.1% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,123 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,302 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbus is 18 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Columbus has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.3% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbus has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Columbus | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.9% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.2% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Columbus, GA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Columbus, GA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA | 203,480 | $58,110 #1/2 | $145,914 #2/2 | 18.0 min #1/2 |
| Phenix City, AL | 31,007 | $46,299 | $180,437 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbus, Georgia.
What is the population of Columbus, Georgia?
About 203,480 people live in Columbus, Georgia, in 81,303 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Columbus, Georgia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbus, Georgia has 921 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Columbus, Georgia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($145,914 against $58,110), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,106 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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