Best PlacesSouth Alum Creek, Columbus, OH Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around South Alum Creek, Columbus, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
South Alum Creek, Columbus ranks 3,360th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cheap car insurance by a wide margin, and internet speeds rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in South Alum Creek, Columbus
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
South Alum Creek, Columbus' strengths and weaknesses
Where South Alum Creek, Columbus ranks high
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 82% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 78% of neighborhoods
- Short commute20.6 minutes each way, better than 76% of neighborhoods
Where South Alum Creek, Columbus ranks low
- Internet speedBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 22% of neighborhoods
- School gradeD+, better than only 22% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 25% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than only 26% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in South Alum Creek, Columbus
A household needs to earn about $61,000 a year to comfortably buy the median South Alum Creek, Columbus home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $72,630, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses South Alum Creek, Columbus' effective rate of 1.23%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in South Alum Creek, Columbus
South Alum Creek, Columbus's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for South Alum Creek, Columbus.
Who works in South Alum Creek, Columbus, and how
Work in South Alum Creek, Columbus centers on health care & social and manufacturing. Unemployment is low, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 87%
- Work from home 9%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in South Alum Creek, Columbus
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across South Alum Creek, Columbus.
What the weather is like in South Alum Creek, Columbus, month by month
South Alum Creek, Columbus sees roughly 72 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 86 degrees. January highs sit near 38, with lows near 24. The comfortable stretch runs May through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 30° | 24° |
| April | 64° | 53° | 43° |
| July | 86° | 75° | 66° |
| October | 68° | 56° | 47° |
Flying in and out of South Alum Creek, Columbus
The nearest airport, Rickenbacker International, is about 6 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is John Glenn Columbus International, about 7 miles away.
The best schools in and around South Alum Creek, Columbus
Schools across South Alum Creek, Columbus average a D+, better than 22% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Hamilton Elementary SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- Ecole Kenwood French ImmersionB · 48% proficient
- Glendening Elementary SchoolC · 35% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hamilton Intermediate SchoolA− · 57% proficient
- Columbus City Preparatory School For GirlsC− · 30% proficient
- Groveport Madison Middle School SouthD · 23% proficient
Top high schools
- Hamilton Township High SchoolB · 48% proficient
- Groveport Madison High SchoolC · 35% proficient
- Columbus North International School (7-12)D · 18% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every South Alum Creek, Columbus school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
South Alum Creek, Columbus measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare South Alum Creek, Columbus against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in South Alum Creek, Columbus
Is South Alum Creek, Columbus a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, South Alum Creek, Columbus ranks 3,360th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cheap car insurance, low disaster risk, and a stable housing market, and lowest on internet speeds and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is South Alum Creek, Columbus expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $220,065. The overall cost of living runs about 16% below the national average. Set against a $72,630 median income, cost of living beats 56% of neighborhoods.
Is South Alum Creek, Columbus safe?
Yes, South Alum Creek, Columbus is safer than 64% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $343 per resident a year.
Compare South Alum Creek, Columbus with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to South Alum Creek, Columbus. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in South Alum Creek, Columbus represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
South Alum Creek, Columbus detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for South Alum Creek, Columbus: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in South Alum Creek, Columbus: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of South Alum Creek, Columbus: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in South Alum Creek, Columbus: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
South Alum Creek, Columbus detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.