Columbus, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbus, OH Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 829,538 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3648.1 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.25% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.5 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 354,779 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbus grew by 22.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 829,538 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbus is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.3% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 218,308 26.3% +5.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 210,826 25.4% +4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 143,449 17.3% -2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 99,803 12.0% -6.1 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 Ohio, 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 50.8% of the people living in Columbus and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 49.2% Ohio 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Columbus
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Columbus has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,429 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.53% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbus is about 7% lower than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $197,353 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,280 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.8% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbus is about 12.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,280 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbus spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,320 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.3% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 19,347 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,949 | 1,212 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbus is about the same as in Ohio.
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 | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.8% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbus has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.2% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.3% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
Columbus, OH Compared With Nearby Cities
How Columbus, OH compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | 829,538 | $66,429 #2/2 | $197,353 #2/2 | 20.6 min #2/2 |
| Upper Arlington, OH | 34,990 | $151,903 | $265,150 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbus, Ohio.
What is the population of Columbus, Ohio?
About 829,538 people live in Columbus, Ohio, in 354,779 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 31.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Columbus, Ohio?
Averaged over its land area, Columbus, Ohio has 3,648 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 42 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Columbus, Ohio?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($197,353 against $66,429), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,280 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →