The Columbus metro area: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway and Union counties · Population 2,175,788 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Columbus area
Household size in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in the Columbus area run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in Ohio overall, where it has 2.46 people. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.6 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.9 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
The Columbus area is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.9, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 36.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in the Columbus area (12.7%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Columbus area
Renters in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.9% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.7% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in the Columbus area rent their homes (38.7%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 32.9% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. The renter share has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in the Columbus area than nationally: 7.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The figure for Ohio is much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.9 points, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in the Columbus area are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Ohio overall, where the median home dates to 1972. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $852 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $924 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,051 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,378 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$526 | +$377 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Columbus area costs $1,378 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Ohio overall ($1,142). Rents are up $526 a month from 2006–10, a 62% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 28.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Columbus area
Bachelor's degrees in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.4% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.6% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.2% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in the Columbus area than nationally: 40.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.6% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.2% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.6% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Columbus area is a bit above the national rate: 92.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The figure for Ohio is much the same. The share with a diploma has risen 2.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Columbus area
| Period | Columbus area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Columbus area runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Columbus area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus area (all) | 2.56 | 37.9 | 12.7% | 38.7% | 7.9% | 1982 | $1,378 | 40.2% | 92.2% | 4.3% |
| Westerville | 2.50 | 39.8 | 9.6% | 33.3% | 7.1% | 1989 | $1,636 | 57.6% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| Dublin | 2.54 | 39.1 | 7.9% | 39.7% | 6.1% | 1996 | $1,715 | 67.7% | 97.1% | 3.0% |
| Hilliard | 2.65 | 36.6 | 9.4% | 34.8% | 5.8% | 1995 | $1,702 | 55.6% | 95.1% | 3.6% |
| Grove City | 2.52 | 40.2 | 10.0% | 25.9% | 7.0% | 1991 | $1,547 | 32.1% | 91.6% | 3.1% |
| Reynoldsburg | 2.49 | 37.3 | 16.5% | 43.3% | 5.5% | 1985 | $1,386 | 29.8% | 90.6% | 4.5% |
| Newark | 2.54 | 39.3 | 15.3% | 40.7% | 7.4% | 1964 | $1,046 | 22.8% | 91.3% | 3.9% |
| Lancaster | 2.45 | 41.5 | 11.7% | 34.4% | 7.8% | 1969 | $1,178 | 22.8% | 92.4% | 4.9% |
| Delaware | 2.72 | 39.2 | 9.2% | 29.7% | 5.8% | 1993 | $1,466 | 49.6% | 96.0% | 2.7% |
| Marion | 3.15 | 39.6 | 14.3% | 39.0% | 18.5% | 1960 | $869 | 14.0% | 87.0% | 14.4% |
| Upper Arlington | 2.45 | 40.2 | 4.9% | 29.6% | 6.1% | 1964 | $1,580 | 79.4% | 98.3% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Providence area · Virginia Beach area · San Jose area · Nashville area · Indianapolis area · Cleveland area · Kansas City area · Cincinnati area · Las Vegas area · Austin area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Columbus area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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