Columbus, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbus, IN 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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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,241 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1284.0 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,955 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbus grew by 17.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,241 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbus is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.5 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,805 21.0% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,086 21.7% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,179 19.3% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,996 16.1% -0.6 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 Indiana, 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 49.6% of the people living in Columbus and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 50.4% Indiana 49.6%
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Economy
Columbus has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,995 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.43% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbus is about 1% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $233,571 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,144 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbus is about 17.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,144 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbus spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 131 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.5 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 131 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,063 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.8% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,224 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,745 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbus is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
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 B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.2% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbus has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbus | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.2% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbus, Indiana.
How big is Columbus, Indiana by population?
About 37,241 people live in Columbus, Indiana, in 15,955 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Columbus, Indiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbus, Indiana has 1,284 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 15 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Columbus, Indiana?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($233,571 against $70,995), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,144 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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