Best PlacesUniversity, Columbus, OH Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University, Columbus, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University, Columbus ranks 3,962nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cheap car insurance by a wide margin, and empty homes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in University, 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.
University, Columbus' strengths and weaknesses
Where University, Columbus ranks high
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Short commute17.1 minutes each way, better than 93% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 89% of neighborhoods
Where University, Columbus ranks low
- Low vacancyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 55 pleasant days a year, better than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Household income$40,369 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University, Columbus
A household needs to earn about $103,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University, Columbus home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $40,369, so buying stretches a typical household.
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 University, Columbus' effective rate of 1.29%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University, Columbus
University, Columbus runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University, Columbus.
Who works in University, Columbus, and how
Work in University, Columbus centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 41%
- Work from home 20%
- Transit, walk, or bike 39%
Life in University, Columbus
University, Columbus has more restaurants and bars per resident than 69% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 70% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of University, Columbus and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University, Columbus, month by month
University, Columbus sees roughly 55 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 40, with lows near 22. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 31° | 22° |
| April | 66° | 53° | 41° |
| July | 88° | 76° | 65° |
| October | 70° | 57° | 46° |
Flying in and out of University, Columbus
John Glenn Columbus International sits about 6 miles away. It is a medium hub and boarded 4.4 million passengers in 2025, with 94 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around University, Columbus
Schools across University, Columbus average a C, better than 37% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Ecole Kenwood French ImmersionB · 48% proficient
- Graham Elementary And Middle SchoolD · 17% proficient
Top middle schools
- Columbus City Preparatory School For GirlsC− · 30% proficient
Top high schools
- 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 University, Columbus school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University, 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 University, Columbus against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who University, Columbus suits
Common questions about living in University, Columbus
Is University, Columbus a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University, Columbus ranks 3,962nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cheap car insurance, heat safety, and short commutes, and lowest on empty homes and the weather. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University, Columbus expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $368,763. The overall cost of living runs about 12% below the national average. Set against a $40,369 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is University, Columbus safe?
University, Columbus is safer than 54% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $397 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in University, Columbus?
July highs average about 88 degrees, and January highs near 40 with lows near 22. That works out to about 55 pleasant days a year, more than 2% of neighborhoods.
Is University, Columbus good for families?
Schools beat 37% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 54%, and childcare runs $1,273 a month.
Compare University, Columbus with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University, Columbus. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University, 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.
University, Columbus detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University, Columbus: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University, Columbus: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University, Columbus: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University, Columbus: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University, 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.