Columbus, OH

Census Place

2024 Population

914,802

US Senator

Bernie Moreno

Republican Party

US Senator

Jon Husted

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

33.2

0.606% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

18.1%

1.57% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$66,082

1.16% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Columbus, OH is home to a population of 915k people, from which 92.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 14.1% of Columbus, OH residents were born outside of the country (129k people).

In 2024, there were 1.74 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (463k people) in Columbus, OH than any other race or ethnicity. There were 266k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 54.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.1%

2024 Citizenship

92.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.1% of Columbus, OH residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus, OH was 92.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbus, OH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbus, OH

White (Non-Hispanic)
463k ± 4.04k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
266k ± 3.65k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
54.3k ± 2.12k

8.26%

Hispanic Population

75.6k people

8.26% of the people in Columbus, OH are hispanic (75.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbus, OH as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Ohio.

Most Common Origin

India
66,921 ± 6,333 people
Mexico
46,789 ± 5,300 people
China
32,961 ± 4,451 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Ohio was India, the natal country of 66,921 Ohio residents, followed by Mexico with 46,789 and China with 32,961.

Foreign-Born Population

14.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

129k people

13.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

123k people

As of 2024, 14.1% of Columbus, OH residents (129k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbus, OH was 13.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Columbus, OH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
10,380 ± 1,206
Vietnam
8,340 ± 703
Gulf War (1990s)
5,591 ± 658

Columbus, OH has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbus, OH.

Economy

The economy of Columbus, OH employs 488k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus, OH were Health Care & Social Assistance (76,697 people), Retail Trade (56,784 people), and Educational Services (43,693 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($85,676), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($82,824), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($74,167).

Employment

Occupations

488k

2024 Value

± 6,580

0.395%

1 Year growth

± 1.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, OH grew at a rate of 0.395%, from 486k employees to 488k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus, OH, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (56,059 people), Management Occupations (49,742 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,308 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus, OH.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Ohio.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Ohio (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

488k

2024 Value

± 6,580

0.395%

1 Year growth

± 1.9%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, OH grew at a rate of 0.395%, from 486k employees to 488k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus, OH, are Health Care & Social Assistance (76,697 people), Retail Trade (56,784 people), and Educational Services (43,693 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus, OH, though some of these residents may live in Columbus, OH and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,227

Median earning men ± $717

$42,794

Median earning women ± $812

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,831), Public Administration ($70,177), and Information ($67,401).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,369), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,731), and Information ($53,928).

Education

The student population of Columbus, OH in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 47,568 male students and 61,684 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbus, OH are White (16,973 and 61.3%), Black or African American (4,450 and 16.1%), Hispanic or Latino (1,801 and 6.5%), and Asian (1,788 and 6.46%).

The largest universities in Columbus, OH by number of degrees awarded are Ohio State University-Main Campus (16,972 and 57.8%), Columbus State Community College (4,529 and 15.4%), and Franklin University (2,641 and 9%).

The most popular majors in Columbus, OH are Registered Nursing (1,794 and 6.11%), General Business Administration & Management (1,350 and 4.6%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (1,328 and 4.52%).

The median tuition costs are $28,800 for private four year colleges, and $8,834 and $25,091 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Columbus, OH, the percentage of applicants admitted was 61.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 109,252 (43.5% men and 56.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 109,252 students enrolled in Columbus, OH, 43.5% men and 56.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 56,397 records, of which 55.7% were women and 44.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Finance
958 degrees awarded
Experimental Psychology
722 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
720 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbus, OH was General Finance with 958 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Columbus, OH according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Ohio State University-Main Campus
16,972 degrees awarded
Columbus State Community College
4,529 degrees awarded
Franklin University
2,641 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ohio State University-Main Campus with 16,972 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 12,517 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbus, OH, which is 0.744 times less than the 16,832 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 16,973 degrees mean that there were 3.81 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 4,450 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($28,800) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($4,463) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($2,524) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbus, OH was $252,900 in 2024, which is 0.76 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $234,500 to $252,900, a 7.85% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus, OH is 44.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus, OH have an average commute time of 21.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus, OH is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$252,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,295

$172,360

Median Property Taxes

±$3,274

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Columbus, OH the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Columbus, OH compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

44.1%

Homeownership

2024

62.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 44.1% of the housing units in Columbus, OH were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 44.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbus, OH compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$66,082

Median Household Income

± $974

391k

Number of Households

± 5,530

In 2024, the median household income of the 391k households in Columbus, OH grew to $66,082 from the previous year's value of $65,327.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, OH distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus, OH is from Ohio.

0.451

2024 Wage GINI in Ohio

0.453

2023 Wage GINI in Ohio

In 2024, the income inequality in Ohio was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.564% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Ohio was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Ohio in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Ohio across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.7%)
Worked At Home (18.3%)
Carpooled (7.79%)

In 2024, 67.7% of workers in Columbus, OH drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.3%) and those who carpooled to work (7.79%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus, OH have a shorter commute time (21.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.27% of the workforce in Columbus, OH have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbus, OH compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, OH distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbus, OH have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, OH (162k out of 891k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbus, OH is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Keep Exploring