Columbus, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Columbus

Franklin County · Columbus · population 933,263

First-time buyersBig-city amenities
Columbus, OH
Image: Wikipedia · Columbus, Ohio
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Columbus stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $248,749
1-year -0.6%
5-yr CAGR +5.1%
vs 5-yr peak -0.7%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-03$249k$106k$158k$209k$261k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
81/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,456/mo$1,070$1,307$1,545202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent128128100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.2
Buy

At a 14.2 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Columbus on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.2 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
47 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
86 · w18%
Population growth
60 · w16%
Rent YoY
56 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
82 · w10%
Long thesis

Columbus is a Rust Belt market with +0.8% population growth — a rare combination. You're buying real housing for less than the cost of a coastal studio in a city the data says is finally turning.

Short thesis

Columbus's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Columbus

Columbus is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 933,263. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Columbus is $248,749 as of 2026-04, down 0.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Columbus average $1,456 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.6%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -0.7% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
○Scale = optionality: 933,263 population gives you airports, hospitals, a deep job market, and a real cultural scene.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Columbus (Wikipedia)

Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a population of 905,748 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., second-most populous city in the Midwest, and third-most populous U.S. state capital. The Columbus metropolitan area, with an estimated 2.23 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 32nd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorAndrew Ginther
Area226.26 sq mi
Elevation791 ft
Settled1812
Density4109.64/sq mi
Named forChristopher Columbus

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Columbus(Landmarks)

  • LeVeque Tower
  • Columbus Register of Historic Properties
  • German Village
  • Italian Village
  • Victorian Village
  • Brewery District
  • Capitol Square
  • Marble Cliff Quarry Co.
  • Greek Doric mode
  • William McKinley Monument
  • Driving Park
  • Eddie Rickenbacker

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Franklin County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Franklin County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Columbus

203 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Woods of Josephinium$764,656+5.6%
2Worthington Hills$713,231+5.6%
3Antrim$662,125+1.4%
4Stilson$640,001+3.7%
5Stilson East$615,522+3.6%
6Northbridge$588,079+3.2%
7Old Beechwold$585,389+3.1%
8German Village$545,891+0.8%
9Olentangy Highlands$543,944+2.3%
10Northmoor$538,225+3.1%
11Dennison Place$516,063-3.6%
12Indian Hills$502,358+2.3%
13Riverplace$502,223-0.9%
14Whetstone$496,244+1.3%
15Linworth Village$494,583+4.4%
16Worthingview$482,866+2.7%
17Preserve North$479,080+0.6%
18Indian Springs$472,076+1.2%
19Central Clintonville$468,145+1.4%
20Italian Village$450,988-3.6%
21Knolls-Thomas$443,934-1.0%
22Schumacher Place$433,701-2.3%
23Scioto Trace$428,938+1.5%
24Olentangy$428,515+1.9%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Columbus

Cincinnati, OH68 · RisingCleveland, OH58 · StableDayton, OH67 · RisingReynoldsburg, OH70 · Rising

Run the numbers for Columbus

ToolCan I afford Columbus?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Columbus rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Columbus to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolColumbus cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
39″ rain
28″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Columbus area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Columbus listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,800
Ohio state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Columbus

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