The Top 9 Neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio

A neighborhood’s greatness is a highly subjective matter. Some people want to be able to walk to lively clubs and restaurants, while others desire proximity to gardens and nature. Columbus, Ohio, is a great city to live in, with plenty of neighborhoods to choose from to meet your specific wants.

Columbus has the neighborhood to match your preference, whether you’re looking for a quiet suburb or something more lively and urban. Here are the top 8 Columbus neighborhoods:

Clintonville

Clintonville is a trendy and vibrant neighborhood north of downtown Columbus with around 18,000 residents. Columbus Underground readers picked it as the “top neighborhood to live” in their 2021 poll.

The land that is now Clintonville was once home to Revolutionary War veterans who wanted to establish businesses and build homes north of downtown. Today it is home to plenty of young professionals and families.

The area is walkable and has many amenities. Community parks are found all around the area. The entire west side is lined with riverfront and parks, giving residents excellent access to green space.

Clintonville has a great mix of restaurants, bars, and shops along its High Street, adding to its popularity.

An eclectic range of housing is available in Clintonville developed over decades and showing changes in design preferences. Find beautiful Tudor-style homes adjacent to Craftsman homes. Single- and multi-family houses are available. In February 2022, Clintonville had 54 homes listed with a median listing price of $349,900.

German Village

German Village, located just south of Downtown Columbus and across Interstate 70, is notable for its meticulously restored brick structures that date back to its mid-nineteenth-century German settlers. The historic district is well-maintained and home to some of the city’s most popular attractions for tourists and residents.

This charming neighborhood has plenty of photo ops and character, and it straddles the line between urban and suburban life. German Village is a hotspot among young professionals because of its vibrant nightlife scene and proximity to downtown. German Village was voted the best neighborhood in 2020 by Columbus Underground and number two in 2021.

Besides unique architecture, there are many other things to do in the area, such as walks in Schiller Park, stopping at Schmidt’s Fudge Haus for some seriously delicious chocolate sweets, and browsing Keny Galleries’ nationally renowned American art collection.

The February 2022 median list price was $619,900, with nine homes on the market. Of the over 200 neighborhoods in Columbus, German Village had the highest median listing price.

Short North 

Do you want to live in a unique, creative, and LGBTQIA-friendly community? Put the Short North Arts District on your list. This sliver of a neighborhood straddles High Street with a block on either side just two miles northwest of downtown. It’s wedged between Italian Village and Victorian Village.

Colorful murals and lively restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques line High Street, giving the area a vibrant atmosphere at all hours (or night). The Short North is a popular Columbus neighborhood for the younger and creative crowd.

You’ll find converted industrial lofts, renovated condos, and new multi-use apartments here. The median list price for a home in the Short North was $379,900 in March 2022, up 45% year-over-year. However, some homes are listed as high as $1 million.

Grandview Heights

Some consider Grandview a separate suburb; others part of Columbus. While it runs its independent (and highly-ranked) school district, it is surrounded by Columbus. Columbus’ second-highest ranked public high school, Columbus School for Girls, is located here. The city’s best-known private college, Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), is also located in Grandview.

Grandview is a lovely and bustling neighborhood with single-family homes and multi-family condominiums. The area is nestled between the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers to the East and South/West. Development began in the early 1900s. Its downtown has a variety of retail outlets, eateries, breweries, salons, and parks within walking distance of almost any point inside Grandview.

New multi-family and mixed-use projects are springing up along the Southeast corner of this area, providing new housing choices for renters and easy access to Arena District and other downtown facilities.

February 2022 reported 36 homes for sale with a median listing price of $449,900.

Franklinton

Franklinton is Columbus’ up-and-coming neighborhood. The closest neighborhood to the west of downtown Columbus, Franklinton has seen a significant transformation over the last ten years. It’s the home of the award-winning Center of Science and Industry (COSI) interactive museum and the National Veterans Memorial.

Franklinton has a lot of character in its historic buildings. Once an industrial area, it’s becoming a popular location for artists and young professionals. Several new businesses, art studios, and Millennial-friendly mixed-use apartment buildings have been established on formerly vacant lots, obsolete warehouses, and low-income housing projects.

The amount of available residences is increasing due to recent multi-family developments like Gravity and River & Rich. There were 37 homes for sale in February 2022 with a $175,000 median list price. Franklinton could represent an opportunity for significant appreciation gains.

Olde Towne East

This near East Side neighborhood is a fantastic place to settle down in an up-and-coming area with a lot of history. Located just five minutes southeast of the congested downtown bustle, Olde Towne is home to tree-lined streets and walkways. The location is one of the city’s oldest, and it is convenient to I-70 and I-71.

Residents living here are highly engaged and protective of the community. Find residents socializing with their friends and neighbors at the Gemüt Biergarten, cooling off with their children in the water features at Blackburn Park, or simply taking walks around the neighborhood.

It has a long history as a residential area. The neighborhood is lined with historic houses, so buyers and renters may choose from many styles, including Victorian, Queen Anne, and Italianate and more contemporary condos and multi-family homes.

Olde Towne East is one of the high appreciating neighborhoods based on data from 2000. Just know that you’ll need to move fast because houses don’t generally stay on the market for very long in Olde Towne East. The typical home value in Olde Towne East was about $435,000 in February 2022.

Victorian Village

Victorian Village is a historic neighborhood in Columbus home to many of the city’s most affluent residents. It offers a wide variety of shopping and dining options and beautiful Victorian-era homes. From Neil Avenue, residents can jump on I-670 to get across the city.

Goodale Park, which includes a playground, tennis courts, a peaceful pond with a gazebo, is located around the neighborhood. It’s also one of the oldest parks in Columbus and the United States.

Residents of Victorian Village may walk to the Short North District or Arena District, which is home to top entertainment attractions, including Nationwide Arena, Lower Field, restaurants, bars, and more. Victorian Village residents have access to the Olentangy bike path next door in Harrison West.

Victorian Village is a lovely collection of charming nineteenth-century homes, many being lovingly restored. In February 2022, Victorian Village had 12 homes for sale with the median list price of $572,500.

Italian Village

Italian Village is another Columbus neighborhood with a rich history and was one of Columbus’ first suburbs. It was once home to many of the city’s Italian immigrants, and today it offers a great mix of Italian restaurants and bars.

It is located near the Short North Art District. The Village contains several sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The Italian Village Society strives to preserve the area’s historic feel.

This location is a great spot for young Columbus companies, and it’s gaining popularity by the hour. The Market Italian Village is a must-see for visitors and residents. Authentic Italian cuisine, wood-fired pizza, and a carefully curated wine list are just a few features that set this contemporary restaurant apart. The unique decor at Fox in the Snow Cafe might make it the most Instagrammed coffee shop in town.

The homes here are also very unique, set on narrow streets with European stylings. There were 23 homes for sale in February 2022 with a median list price of $400,000.

Far West Side

The Far West Side of Columbus is a large, suburban area that offers plenty in the way of outdoor activities. The region includes Lincoln Village, Hilliard Green, Scioto Farms, and Heritage Green.

The schools in this Columbus area are some of the best in the state, and crime rates are relatively low. Residents can find plenty of things to do outdoors, as the site is home to numerous parks, golf courses, and nature preserves. 

The area is growing rapidly, with new housing developments popping up. In 2021, it had one of the busiest real estate markets. Shopping and dining options abound, and residents have easy access to major highways.

Lincoln Village is the epicenter of the Far West Side. Homes were selling in an average of five days in August 2021. People were attracted to the more spacious lots available for the same housing prices as other in-demand Columbus neighborhoods.

Where to live in Columbus, Ohio

No matter where you decide to put down roots near Columbus, there are many great places to choose from! Columbus is home to over 100 corporate headquarters, thousands of original restaurants, hundreds of events/shows/festivals, and more than 400,000 housing units, making it the perfect place to find exactly what you’re looking for in a place to live. 

Ready to explore further? See the frequently asked questions about Columbus real estate. If living in town doesn’t appeal to you, check out these Columbus suburbs.