Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Columbus, OH

    Is Columbus a good place to live?

    Watch Columbus

    Columbus ranks #28 of 62 Ohio cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (48/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.4% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $234,500
    +10.4% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,224
    per month
    Household income
    $65,327
    median
    Unemployment
    5.1%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Columbus

    The median home value in Columbus is $234,500 and median rent is $1,224 a month, against a median household income of $65,327. Homes cost about 3.6× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Columbus crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Ohio the 2025 rate was 288 violent and 1,471 property crimes per 100,000 people — #25 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Columbus, OH

    Columbus has about 906,480 residents, 5.1% unemployment and 24% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Columbus with

    Columbus vs ClevelandColumbus vs CincinnatiColumbus vs ToledoColumbus vs AkronColumbus vs DaytonColumbus vs ParmaColumbus vs CantonColumbus vs Lorain

    More: Where to move in Ohio · Best counties in Ohio

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report