Can you afford to live in Columbus?

Median household income, home values and rent in Columbus, OH — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Columbus.

Median household income: $65,327 — +43.1% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,224/mo — +46.9% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 129100
• 2023: 234500

Median household income

• Columbus: 65327
• Franklin County: 73795
• OH: 69680
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Columbus: 1224
• Franklin County: 1233
• OH: 988
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 28.2% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

The typical household here earns $65,327 — notably lower than the national figure of $78,538.

The typical renter here spends 28.2% of household income on rent, below the 30% cost-burden line.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+46.9% versus +43.1%), before adjusting for inflation.