Should I Move To
Roughly 50,896 people live in Columbus, Indiana. Living here costs affordable relative to the rest of the country, 12% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,081/mo; the typical household pulls in $75,114. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 71/100 — a B, putting it at #6 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Columbus sits at 88 — affordable when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,081/mo against $75,114 median household income), housing eats roughly 17% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $211,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 85°F in summer, 26°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 45 inches. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality reads good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Columbus is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 72/100 (grade B) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (84/100); weakest on climate (53/100).
For retirees, Columbus is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 73/100 (grade B) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (84/100); weakest on climate (53/100).
For remote workers, Columbus is one of the stronger US options. It earns 75/100 (grade B+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (84/100); weakest on climate (53/100).
For young professionals, Columbus is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 69/100 (grade B-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (84/100); weakest on climate (53/100).
Columbus, Indiana pulls a 71/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade B), currently ranked #6 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Columbus's cost-of-living index is 88 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 12% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,081/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 85°F, winter averages around 26°F, with about 45 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 79/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Columbus has about 50,896 residents, 42% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Columbus head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Columbus stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Columbus with other Indiana cities scored on UrbRank.
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