Moving to Columbus – Your EZ Guide to Everything Columbus, Ohio

People are drawn to Columbus, Ohio, for all reasons: education, job opportunities, and urban amenities. The capital city has a college-town vibe, but diverse industries, like the growing tech industry, support its economy. For some, it’s the best place to live in Ohio because you get all the benefits of a major metro area with fewer crowds and a better cost of living.

If you plan to move to Columbus— called “Cbus” by locals—we’ve gathered the details you need to decide whether living here is right for you. Whether you’re just stopping through for a quick visit or making Columbus your new home, see why the largest city in Ohio is an appealing place to move. 

Cost of Living and Population Growth

With an overall score of 91.4, the cost of living in Columbus is 9% less than the national average. The Best Places Index places the US average at 100. Miscellaneous costs ran the highest, at 7% above average. That’s for clothing, child care, eating out, or buying concert tickets.  It’s well-balanced out with a housing cost running 29% below the national average. Residents also pay 10% less than the national average for health care and transportation.

The city’s affordable cost of living has been a magnet, drawing people in. Columbus’ population has surged, growing by 15% from 2010 to 2020, reaching 905,748 residents. As Ohio’s largest city, it ranks as the 14th most populous city in the country. And it’s not slowing down, with the entirending at a rate of about 1.11% a metro area expa year. In 2022, the metro area boasted a population of 1.7 million people. Columbus’ growth outpaces that of the state’s other major cities, including Cincinnati, making it the fastest-growing city in the Midwest and one of the fastest in the nation.

The average age of a Columbus resident was 36.1, below the national average of 38. With around 100,000 college students adding to the city’s population each year, millennials aged 18-34 make up 25% of the local population.

Job Market

The good thing about moving to Columbus, Ohio, is it has a robust and diversified economy with significant job opportunities for new residents. Eleven Fortune 1000 headquarters operations are within the city. A Wall Street Journal Survey in 2020 ranked Columbus metro as no. 18 in the country for hot job markets. For young professionals, it ranked in the top ten.

No single industry represents more than 18% of the employment sector. That helped shield it from the pandemic downturn and has helped its growth afterward. The top employing industries were professional and business services, education, health care, and government. However, Columbus also has a strong, advanced manufacturing, finance, and insurance industry.

The city’s largest employers are in health care and education. The Ohio State University is a top employer in both areas. It employs about 7,800 faculty plus 41,000 staff and student workers. It’s joined by Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio Health for health care. 

Notable companies like L Brands, Honda of America, Nationwide Insurance, and JP Morgan Chase have headquarters here. The latter employs 18,000 people alone. 

All four, plus Cardinal Health and Huntington Banks, were the largest private-sector employers. Each shows how diverse the market is, as they represent fashion, insurance, finance, and manufacturing. Additionally, 330 internationally-owned brands operate out of Columbus. 

Two world-leading research institutions, Batelle Institute and CAS, join The Ohio State University in positioning Columbus as a research hub.  Three Edison Technology Centers, which partner with OSU for advancement in materials, biotech, and other commercial innovations, add to the intellectual talent. A Transportation Research Center provides vehicular testing for organizations worldwide.

The unemployment rate was 4.2% in July 2024, tracking with the US national average. Columbus typically does match the national average because of its diverse industries.

If you’re looking for a Midwest city for startups, Columbus’ profile is rising. It ranked fifth in 2024, with two accelerators, an increasing number of investor and venture capital firms, and small business conferences.

Central Ohio Climate

Experience all four seasons living in Columbus. Winters are cold, with an average low of 20F in January and a high of 85F in July. Columbus doesn’t experience lake-effect snows, but winter blizzards and ice storms do roll through the metro. Winter tends to be the wettest time of year, with an average 22.4 inches of snowfall. January tends to be the heaviest month for snowfall.

Season transitions can experience high-wind days. The flat plains surrounding Columbus allow the winds to really pick up as cold and warm fronts collide. It lead to severe thunderstorms with tornadoes and large hail. 

Hot and muggy summers with average high of 85F in July. Humidity can make it feel even warmer, even though these months are some of the driest in the annual cycle. At least the temperature rarely reach 100F, even if the heat index can get close.

Getting Around Columbus

Columbus has a public and commuter-based transportation system. The average daily commute time was under 22 minutes.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is the public transit service for greater Columbus. It’s a bus-only network to get around town. The Cbus Free Bus is available to downtown workers from German Village and Short North. The central core also has bike shares.

Interstate 70 and 71 meet in Columbus, connecting to other Ohio cities. Interstate 270 forms a 22-mile circle that helps move traffic around Columbus and its suburbs. Residents also use Interstate-670 and Highway 315, set up as a parkway system, to move north and south. There are not as many easy thru-roads to move east-west. Interstate construction also snarls traffic, especially around the downtown intersections.

Columbus’ John Glenn International Airport was voted one of the top ten most improved airports in the world. The passenger airport is east from downtown. The Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) is one of the world’s only cargo-dedicated airports.

Education in Columbus

Several excellent school districts are located in Franklin County. The Columbus City School District is the largest in Ohio, serving more than 50,000 students through 112 schools. However, it’s only one of several serving local families. Other public school districts inside the city limits include Grandview Heights, Worthington, Upper Arlington, Bexley, and Whitehall City.  Bexley and Dublin City have two of the highest-performing local high schools. Grandview Heights, New Albany, and Upper Arlington were the top-performing school districts in 2024. Additionally, Columbus has numerous city charter and private schools.

Colleges of Columbus OH

Columbus has a robust higher education system, with nearly 100,000 college students calling the city home. Many people moving to Columbus, Ohio, are coming specifically for their college education.

Over 61,000 students attend the main campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. It’s of the largest and most comprehensive institutions in the United States. With more than 250 master’s, doctoral, and professional degree programs to choose from, OSU provides a diverse and skilled workforce for the future. It is a major research university in multiple fields. In 2018, Ohio State conferred over 11,000 degrees.

According to US News & World Report, the graduate and undergraduate engineering programs at The Ohio State University are ranked No. 1 among all Ohio institutions and 16th among public universities in the United States. According to the National Science Foundation, the College of Engineering is third in the nation for industry research and development spending.

Columbus State Community College is a large two-year college with engineering certificate courses in manufacturing, assembly, and computer-aided design.

The Franklin University campus is located on the city’s east side. The school is best known as a business college, offering associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Bexley is home to Capital University, which was founded in 1929. Its signature programs are the Music Conservatory and Columbus Law School, located downtown. 

The Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) is one of the nation’s oldest design schools. It offers art education to students interested in fashion, video games, film and video, architecture, and product design.

Real Estate Market

Columbus home buyers will not likely get a break in the hot housing market. Predictions in 2022, 2023, and 2024 called for house sales and asking prices in Columbus to rise twice as quickly as average rates across the country. For several years, Columbus ranked among the top 15 hottest housing markets nationwide.

Low-cost affordable homes, high immigration, the area’s high proportion of millennials, and the region’s strong job creation and education levels drive the demand for houses. Still, Columbus’s price-per-square-foot and share of income to purchase are more affordable than national rates, even as prices rise.

The biggest challenge for homebuyers in central Ohio is finding available homes. Although median home prices are rising, inventory remains low. Year-over-year, the number of new listings increased just 1%. The number of homes for sale is up 37%, but the market inventory is just 1.7 months.

Home sales are forecasted to rise, but so are median home prices. In August 2024, the year-to-date median sale price was $281,000, a 4.1% increase. Most sellers received 100% of their asking price. Homes were on the market for a median of 22 days until contract.

The local real estate market does tend to follow a seasonal pattern. Sales activity and prices pick up in the summer months before slowing down in the winter. The lowest median home prices are found around January and February. Nonetheless, generally, the real estate market has been trending upward.

Columbus Tax Rates

When moving to Columbus, Ohio, something you’ll hear about and read in property listings is the tax rates. The eclectic boundary lines between cities, schools, and county properties create unusual taxing situations. Columbus’s property taxes tend to be less than its adjacent independent cities, like Dublin and New Albany. Individual income taxes are also different between where you may work and where you live.

Because of this variance, pay attention to addresses. It could save you some money. Here’s a sampling of property tax rates from 2023:

 

Taxing District	2023 Property Tax Rate in Mils
Franklin County	19.77
Ohio State	0.32
City of Columbus	3.14
City of Bexley	5.45
Grove City	3.5
Upper Arlington City	5.89
Hilliard	1.6
Columbus City Schools	87.91
Grandview Heights Schools	111.40

Income taxes are charged at a flat 2% for Franklin County and 2.5% for the City of Columbus. Other local suburb income tax rates vary, like the 2% in New Albany, Dublin, and Westerville.

City Neighborhoods

Columbus is an odd shape, with annexed sections wrapping around independent cities and townships that feel very much part of the actual city. Distinct sections of town, many with long histories and beautiful homes dating to the 19th century, add to the local character. Other city neighborhoods are clearly newer developments, with townhomes and high-rise condos. All have lots of opportunities to create a high quality of life. Some purposefully try to create a sense of community, like German Village with its annual holiday lights and Clintonville with its farmer’s market and arts festival. A few standout neighborhoods are:

• German Village, known for its charming brick streets and historic homes
• Victorian Village, a historic district with beautiful homes and popular Goodale Park
• Short North, a lively arts district with galleries, boutiques, and restaurants
• Clintonville, a family-friendly area with parks and a strong community vibe
• Bexley, home to grand estates and tree-lined streets
• Franklinton, an up-and-coming area with a growing arts scene and museums
• Dublin, a suburban hub with modern developments and excellent schools
• Arena District, packed with sports stadiums and the culture scene
• Grandview Heights, a suburban area near downtown with excellent schools
• Upper Arlington, a posh neighborhood near the OSU campus and Scioto River

Things To Do in Columbus

Columbus has earned the title “The Most Fun City in America” by US News & World Report. And why not? It has college sports teams, a huge underground music scene, a love for the arts, a large LGBTQ+ community, and interesting attractions. Here are some of the highlights of the Columbus cultural scene:

Dining

Thanks to the multicultural blend of the city, cuisines from around the world influence the culinary scene. Columbus’ German Village has authentic beer gardens, famous cream puffs, and schnitzel. Italian Village is home to classic restaurants. A large immigrant presence adds Somali, Indian, and East Asian flavors across the town. Try Joya’s in Westervlle, a breakfast and lunch spot founded by a Top Chef alum, or get authentic Kenyan flavors at Wycliff’s Kitchen.

The delicious food scene in Columbus includes food markets, like the Short North Market and Budd Dairy Food Hall. Buckeye Donuts has long been a staple for OSU students, while long waits are standard for brunch at Fox-in-the-Snow.

Beer drinkers have an abundance of craft beers from local distillers to try. Watershed Distillery, Brother’s Drake Meadery, Land Grant Brewing, and Seventh Sons Brewing are Columbus icons, but there are 39 craft brewers across the city. 

Columbus’ multicultural demographic is similar to that of the United States. For that reason, the restaurant industry uses the city as a test market. Chains like Wendy’s and Starbucks have used it to try new concepts before appearing elsewhere in the nation. In fact, you’ll find the headquarters of Wendy’s, White Castle, and Charley’s Philly Steaks. 

Dog-Friendly Columbus

You and your furry friend will love exploring Columbus. The city is filled with natural areas by the Olentangy and Scioto rivers. Take them on walks at the Scioto Audubon Dog Park, Big Darby Creek Preserve, Highbanks Metro Park, Alum Creek Dog Park, and more. Dog parks are at the Downtown dog park, Tail Wags Playground, and Wheeler Memorial Dog Park.

BrewDog Franklinton, Gresso’s, and Kingmakers have dog-friendly patios, so you can dine with your pup.

Popular Attractions

The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has an amazing butterfly garden and Chihuly glass displays. The children’s garden features a water park, a music garden, and specially scheduled activities. Holiday-themed events throughout the year add to the magic of the gardens.

Over 2,000 animals and over 500 species call the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium home. You can ride a camel, pet some stingrays, and watch penguins dive into their pool. The Zoo gained fame as the setting for Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. During the busy summer season, its rides and roller coaster are open.

Also open in the summer, Zoombezi Bay next door is the biggest water park in town. Cool off in the wave pool, lazy river, or the water slides.

COSI is an interactive children’s science museum downtown in Franklinton. The massive facility boasts many hands-on exhibits. Explore coal mine tunnels or go on simulated space missions. Kids can climb into a submarine or create hot air balloons. 

LEGOLAND Discovery Center in the Easton Town Center is a family-friendly indoor amusement park featuring tons of LEGO brick models. 

The Ohio State Fair is hosted right in the city each year during the summer. The fairgrounds are right off I-71 and close to downtown. Check out the best of Ohio culture plus enjoy all the classic fair entertainment from livestock shows to the rides.

Parks and Recreation

If you enjoy a walk in the park, Columbus has you covered and then some. Dozens of miles of multi-use pathways crisscross Columbus. A large number of urban parks include German Village’s Schiller Park, Goodale Park in the Short North, and Franklin Park on the city’s east side are some of them. Its extensive Metro Park system is one of the country’s best. Its many green spaces have paths for walking, cycling, and hiking. The long Olentangy Greenway is a multi-purpose path that runs north and south along the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers and is shared by runners, walkers, and cyclists. This route passes by The Ohio State University.

The Alum Creek Greenway extends north and south along Alum Creek. The northern end of the Greenway is Alum Creek State Park, which has a swimming beach, fishing, and picnic facilities.

Downtown has the famous Scioto Mile, a walking path with the best downtown views and access. It winds under the downtown bridges, by the spray fountains and amphitheaters. 

Bicentennial Park is the centerpiece of a beautiful park that extends from the Bicentennial Plaza in the south to North Bank Park in the north and is a wonderful location to walk about and appreciate both city life and nature. During the day, Bicentennial Park offers free concerts and a large fountain display that is fun for children to play.

Inniswood has more than 100 acres of woods and streams to explore, even if the blooms aren’t in bloom. The lovely forest is always inviting with easy hikes for hiking, even if the flowers aren’t blooming. Dublin’s Coffman Park has an amphitheater, skate park, fishing ponds, and more. Close by is Indian Run Falls, a natural gorge with trails, observation platforms, and a bridge over the waterfalls. Battelle Darby Creek offers over 7,000 sprawling acres to explore. Warm up at the nature center and see if the bison are out roaming–winter brings them in closer. Highbanks, the second-largest park at over 1,000 acres, is a hiking destination in north Columbus. Trek up and down the paths, cross ravine bridges and watch bald eagles from the observation deck.

It’s all part of the 400 parks across Columbus Metro Parks. The city has made the most of its diverse landscape by prioritizing access to the outdoors for all.

Shopping

Columbus knows fashion with more designers than the rest of the country–except New York and Los Angeles. Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, Eloquii, Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), Victoria’s Secret, and more are headquartered here.

The Short North Arts District, Grandview, and German Village are just the start of the specialized and boutique shopping districts. Also check out Clintonville’s unique shops and the newer Common Thread, a collaborative market for fashion designers. Polaris Fashion Place’s indoor mall sells brands like Lacoste, Diesel, Portman Clubwear, and Fendi, to name a few. Easton’s outdoor and indoor shopping district has name brands in home design, fashion, and gifts. Just outside Grove City and north in Sunbury are Tangier Outlets for discount shopping.

Art and Culture

Columbus has an amazing arts scene that includes visual and performing arts. It’s supported by the presence of the art college and the entire community, which embraces a love for the creative.

The Columbus Museum of Art features bright galleries with changing exhibits and an outdoor sculpture garden. The Wexner Center for the Arts is another museum space with three yearly rotating exhibitions. According to ARTNews, one of the world’s best art collections is housed at The Pizzuti Collection. The Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has an extensive collection of Chihuly glass, and there are monthly nighttime garden strolls to see it lit up under lights.

The Columbus Arts Festival, which takes over the downtown riverfront every June, is one of the country’s largest and most popular art festivals. Stroll down the Scioto Mile with family and friends to appreciate the art, entertainment, and cuisine that make this event so unique.

Enjoy Columbus’ many live performances at venues like Shadowbox Live!, a residential theater company. 

The Columbus Performing Arts Association (CAPA) hosts performances year-round, from local shows to Broadway performances. Columbus has its own Jazz Orchestra and a Symphony.

For a fascinating experience, stroll through the picturesque Ohio Statehouse, an architectural and historical marvel.

Visit the boutiques in German Village, which are housed in a charming historic neighborhood complete with brick streets and an old-world feel. You never know what you’ll discover.

Sports and Sports Teams

Several professional sports teams bring Columbus to the big stage, most notably the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and the MLS’s Columbus Crew.  The soccer club has won the MLS Cup several times, most recently in 2023, and the League Cup in 2024.

Catch these games and more in the Arena District. The Crew plays at Lower Field, a soccer-specific stadium that was built for them in 2021 near downtown. The NHL Blue Jackets play at Nationwide Arena. Check out the Columbus Clippers playing in Triple-A baseball for minor league sports. 

In the fall, Columbus turns red, and it’s not the leaves. It’s football season! College town sports take over during the semester. The Ohio State Buckeyes’ die-hard supporters are always eager to support their team to victory. The Ohio State Buckeyes play in Ohio Stadium, also known as the “Horseshoe,” in the Big Ten East Division. But OSU has many more championship teams in Division I basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey.

Moving to Columbus, Ohio

Whether you’re here to work, play, or passing through, we hope your visit is an enjoyable one. Moving can be stressful, and we want to help make it as easy as possible for you and your family.

Columbus prides itself on its young and educated population, making it easier for new residents to jump right in and make a difference. The Midwestern city is full of new experiences and we want to help you take advantage of everything it offers.

From the major landmarks and points of interest, like the Ohio Statehouse, to some of the more off-the-beaten-path places, like the Short North Arts District, Columbus will keep you busy. It shows you can have affordable living inside a bustling city.

Updated September 2024