Columbus is not only the capital of Ohio, but also one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. "People come here for work, develop a community and just end up sticking around," says John Kohlhepp, Realtor at Keller Williams Capital Partners. "They want to be connected in the way they are in smaller towns, and Columbus is America's biggest small town."
Though the most populous city in Ohio today, the area's growth was slow in its earliest years. It would take a connection to the railroads for the area to see major growth and an industrial boom in the 19th century led to a thriving manufacturing industry.
Today, the central Ohio city's 913,000 residents have job opportunities in the tech, health, insurance and education industries. Tech giants like Meta, Amazon and Intel have put down roots in the suburbs, bringing an influx of new residents. This steady growth has attracted more dining options and high-profile entertainment. Home prices are below the national average but trending higher. Downtown has seen revitalization in the last 25 years and new homes are springing up in eastside neighborhoods like Preserve North and Little Turtle .
Historically, the city was influenced by an influx of Irish and German residents during the mid-19th century -- one area is still known as German Village . At present, about one-tenth of the city’s population are immigrants, including Bhutanese-Nepali, Somalis, Afghans and Burmese. "There are still areas where immigrants tend to congregate when they first get here, but the economic opportunities allow them to go to school, get a job and move throughout the city," says Jason Hottle, Realtor with Modern Ohio Realty. "It's the same as when the Irish came, same as when the Italians came. It's a pattern through history."
The Ohio State University is situated only 5 minutes away from the Cranbrook neighborhood.
Riverside methodist Hospital is located next to the Cranbrook neighborhood.
Intel has put down roots in the Columbus suburbs, bringing an influx of new residents.
The Columbus Stonewall Pride Festival is the Midwest's second-largest LGBTQIA Pride event.
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Historic homes and new construction
Due to steady construction and growth that's continued since the mid-1800s, the housing market in Columbus has a lot of variety. "You want a two-bedroom condo downtown? I can sell you one for $2 million," says Hottle. "I can also sell you one for $250,000--you've got plenty of options." Those same condos sit next to historic cottages in German Village and restored Queen Annes in Dennison Place . Midcentury split-levels and ranch-style homes fill the family-friendly suburbs of northwestern neighborhoods like Sycamore Hills and Cranbrook .
Overall, the median home price of real estate falls in the low $300,000s, below the national median in the low $400,000s. However, homes in Columbus sell faster, with an average of 29 days on the market, as opposed to the national average of 44. The city's rising population affects average sale prices, which went up 6% in 2024 compared to 2023. "We're short on housing inventory," says Theresa Mesaros, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. "So, the city's trying to address that by adding more in the center of the city, as opposed to just the outskirts and the suburbs."
Many American four square homes in German Village were built in the mid and late 1800s.
Victorian style of architecture can be seen throughout the Dennison Place neighborhood.
Built throughout the 1920s brick Colonial homes are popular in the Bexley neighborhood.
Preserve North is filled with modern, updated housing throughout north Columbus.
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A thriving tech industry to the east
Columbus has a reputation for the variety of industries that call it home. Insurance and education are two leaders in job creation, with Nationwide and The Ohio State University employing over 17,000 and 29,000 people, respectively. The healthcare industry is also a key player, with OhioHealth and Cardinal Health headquartered in the area. Huntington Bancshares represents the financial industry, while recognizable retail brands like Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie and Fitch have put Columbus on the fashion map. "Fashion is something people don't realize exists in Columbus," says Hottle. "But designers come here for Express and other brands and realize there's a local appetite for their work."
The tech industry has had a major impact on Columbus lately. Data centers for Meta, Amazon and Google have been opening on the east side since 2016. Microsoft has a data center scheduled to open in 2027, while Intel is opening a chip factory in New Albany in 2025. These changes promise not only to change the physical landscape but the area's demographics as well. "Intel will have the largest chip manufacturer in the world," says Sue Lusk-Gleich, Realtor at Keller Williams Capital Partners and lifelong resident. "And Google and Amazon are buying up all the real estate to build tech hubs. So by 2030, our population will have a lot more young people."
Headquartered is Columbus, Nationwide employs over 25,000 employees.
The Oval in Columbus is an iconic open space located at the heart of the OSU.
Data centers for Meta and Amazon have been opening on the east side of Columbus.
Google has buying up all the real estate to build tech hubs throughout Columbus.
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A city-revitalized parks system
In many residents' eyes, the city's park projects and revitalization efforts are the most important factors in Columbus’s transformation. "The city we have today started in the 2000s with a housing boom," says Hottle. "That caused the government to convert old spaces and improve our parks and trails, which is conducive to living, not just work." As a result, Columbus's Recreation and Parks Department features over 14,000 acres of public green space across more than 400 parks. These parks cover a wide range of activities far beyond the standard playgrounds and basketball courts (though there are plenty of those as well).
The Columbus Park of Roses is among the largest rose gardens in the country, featuring thousands of roses across 13 acres. It also houses an herb garden, perennial garden and arboretum. The Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park contains over 2,000 acres of restored tallgrass prairie, typical of the area's early ecology. Bicentennial Park's Scioto Mile Fountain is a 200-foot-long water attraction that can spray water 75 feet into the air, making it ideal for cooling off or admiring from a distance. Two hundred miles of trails take hikers through both natural and urban landscapes. The parks are evenly spread through the city, with the Trust for Public Land stating that 72 percent of city residents live 10 minutes or less from a park. The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is developing a plan for its parks and their output over the next ten years. They recently held a citywide survey to gauge local opinions on what should be developed and featured from 2025 to 2035.
Located in Clintonville, Columbus Parks of Roses is a local favorite during the summer.
Battelle Darby Creek has worked to restore the bison to the natural Ohio wildlife.
The residents of Dennison Place enjoy the pond at Goodale Park located only one mile away.
Olentangy Trail is popular among Clintonville residents and for outdoor recreation.
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Fashion, festivals, football and food
"People are surprised to see that we have a vibrant culture and arts scene," says Hottle. "Downtown, we have the Arts District, three major theaters and so much more—it's the jewel of the city." The Discovery District is the hub for many of the city's cultural touchstones, including the Columbus Museum of Art, Topiary Park and The Bluestone, a live music venue converted from a 19th-century church. A column of theatres runs from German Village into the University District, hosting blockbuster musicals and small, personal experiences at venues like The Palace Theatre, The Short North Stage and The Ohio Theatre.
Festivals and annual events are regular occurrences all over the city, including smaller local music or holiday festivals along with massive signature happenings like Fashion Week, the Columbus Arts Festival and the Arnold Sports Festival, which draw thousands of attendees from all over the world. The city's sports scene revolves around the aptly named Arena District . Nationwide Arena is home to the NHL team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Lower.com Field hosts the Columbus Crew, one of the original ten teams in Major League Soccer. Perhaps most famous, however, is The Ohio State University's athletics departments—particularly its football team. Their home base, Ohio Stadium, has an over 100,000-seat capacity, regularly filling on weekends in the fall with diehard Buckeyes fans. "The fervor of people supporting Ohio State football is all-consuming," says Hottle. "The tailgating culture here is unlike anything I've ever seen at any other sport."
Shopping in Columbus can mean highly specialized local stores or massive malls with hundreds of retail options. For the former, neighborhoods like Short North and German Village are well known for their boutiques, including consignment stores, used book stores and curio shops. Further north, the Easton Town Center is one of Ohio's most popular shopping centers, with over 200 popular franchises and restaurants.
Columbus dining is diverse, reflecting its residents. Cuisine from Somalia, Nepal, India and Southeastern Asia thrives in the city center and the surrounding suburbs. In 2024, Columbus chefs BJ Liberman and Avishar Barua were named semifinalists for the James Beard Award in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category. "What many people don't know is that Columbus is a test city for foods," says Mesaros. "We get a lot of new food places and menu items before anyone else." Chefs and locals haven't settled on a signature dish outside of one particular chocolate and peanut butter candy. "You can't talk about Columbus without talking about buckeyes," says Kohlhepp. "But other than that, our cultures are such a melting pot that you can't narrow it down."
Columbus Museum of Art is located in Columbus less than 2 miles away from Short North.
The historic Palace Theatre in the Uptown District is a movie palace built in 1926.
High Street is a main hub for restaurants and retail spots in Columbus.
Easton Town Center offers a great variety of shopping and dining options.
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Dozens of school districts
Dozens of school districts serve the Greater Columbus area, the largest of which are Columbus City, Olentangy and South-Western City. Columbus City School District has an overall grade of C from Niche, with high marks in diversity. Columbus Alternative High School ranks an A-minus and is considered one of the top ten magnet high schools in Ohio by Niche. Farther north is Olentangy School District, which scores an A-plus from Niche, which considers it one of the top ten school districts in Ohio. A-rated Olentangy High School consistently puts out SAT and ACT scores well above the national average. South-Western City School District rates a B-minus. Its B-minus-rated Central Crossing High School is known for its award-winning marching and concert bands.
The Ohio State University is one of the largest public universities in the country, with over 60,000 students per year. The university offers over 12,000 courses and 200 undergraduate majors in fields as varied as the hard sciences and the fine arts. Franklin University is a private school that specializes in programs for working adults. With an average student age of 36, much of the coursework revolves around online and evening classes.
Columbus Alternative High School ranks an A-minus and is one of the top ten schools in Ohio.
Olentangy High School consistently puts out SAT and ACT scores above the national average.
Central Crossing High School is known for its award-winning marching and concert bands.
Capital University has a large stadium located in Bexley.
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A city without natural borders
Many major highways converge in Columbus, including Interstates 70, 71 and 670. Traffic can be an issue during standard work hours, though the area's natural layout can be a boon for drivers. "Columbus doesn't have the natural borders other cities have—rivers, lakes, mountain ranges," says Hottle. "Over the years, it's grown from the center out, making better commute times."
Despite a thorough bus line provided by the Central Ohio Transit Authority, many locals believe the city's growth will require more investment in transportation infrastructure. "We're one of the largest cities in the country that doesn't have a train or subway system," says Mesaros. "So, the government is doing a lot to try and open up our bus routes and create more opportunities for pedestrians." John Glenn International Airport is on the east side of town and has 150 flights daily to places like Cancun, Los Angeles and Toronto.
Important to know
While FBI data shows that Columbus's violent crime rates are consistently higher than the Ohio and national averages, the numbers are on the downswing, dropping 20 percent from 2022 to 2023. Property crime was similar, with higher overall numbers than the state and national averages and a 29 percent drop from 2022 to 2023. The areas with the highest crime rates are closer to the city center and include neighborhoods like the Uptown District , Franklinton , and Short North. The northern regions of the city generally have the lowest crime rates, including neighborhoods like Trenton , Antrim , Western Hills and Hickory Bluff Farms .
Locals call Columbus a "four-season city," with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. "We get all seasons, but we don't get the harshest aspects of any of it," says Hottle. Summer highs are in the upper 80s and winter lows drop into the high 20s. While flooding from the Olentangy and Scioto rivers were hazards leading back to the city's founding, Columbus began work on the 7-mile Franklinton Floodwall in 1993, finishing it in 2004. This structure protects the lowest points of the city from flooding. Many have credited it with a revitalization in Franklinton and the surrounding area. "Before the floodwall, you couldn't develop in many of those neighborhoods," says Hottle. "It was just too big a risk."
Columbus has several major hospitals, including the OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Mount Carmel East. OhioHealth and Cardinal Health are two of the area's biggest employers, and The U.S. News & World Report consistently recognizes the Ohio State University College of Medicine as one of the best medical schools in the country.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
