Cost of living in Columbus research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Columbus is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Indiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Columbus is 96, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Columbus is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Columbus ranks as the #96 cheapest in Indiana out of 124.
Columbus ranks as the #2,601 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Columbus is $185,300.
The median income in Columbus is $72,380.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Columbus has an overall cost of living index of 96, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Indiana, Columbus has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Indiana's index of 91.
The standard of living in Columbus ranks as #96 most affordable out of the 124 places we measured in Indiana. By definition, that implies Columbus ranks as the #28 most expensive place in the Hoosier State.
For more reading on life in Columbus, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Columbus. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Columbus is 106.
The Groceries index in Columbus is 100.
The Health index in Columbus is 98.
The Housing index in Columbus is 81.
The Transportation index in Columbus is 101.
The Utilities index in Columbus is 93.
Living Expense | Columbus | Indiana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 96 | 91 | 100 | |
Services | 106 | 94 | 100 | |
Groceries | 100 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 98 | 101 | 100 | |
Housing | 81 | 77 | 100 | |
Transportation | 101 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 93 | 106 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Indiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Columbus is $185,300.
The Median Rent in Columbus is $1,035.
The Median Income in Columbus is $72,380.
The Home Value To Income in Columbus is 2.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Columbus is 0.17x.
Statistic | Columbus | Indiana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $185,300 | $158,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,035 | $891 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $72,380 | $61,944 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.6x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Columbus. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Bloomington, IN has a cost of living index of 97, 1.0x Columbus.
Greenwood, IN has a cost of living index of 92, 1.0x Columbus.
Lawrence, IN has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Columbus.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Columbus |
---|---|---|---|
Bloomington, IN | 80,064 | 97 | 1.0x |
Greenwood, IN | 62,914 | 92 | 1.0x |
Lawrence, IN | 49,048 | 87 | 0.9x |
Elizabethtown, KY | 31,066 | 98 | 1.0x |
Brownsburg, IN | 28,420 | 95 | 1.0x |
Greenfield, IN | 23,024 | 88 | 0.9x |
Danville, IN | 10,424 | 92 | 1.0x |
Bargersville, IN | 9,024 | 93 | 1.0x |
Cumberland, IN | 5,860 | 93 | 1.0x |
New Whiteland, IN | 5,565 | 91 | 0.9x |