Columbus, Ohio Population 2024

909,676

Columbus is a city located in Delaware County, Fairfield County, and Franklin County Ohio. Columbus has a 2024 population of 909,676. It is also the county seat of Franklin County. Columbus is currently growing at a rate of 0.09% annually and its population has increased by 0.38% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 906,266 in 2020.

The average household income in Columbus is $82,282 with a poverty rate of 18.13%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Columbus is 32.7 years, 32.3 years for males, and 33.2 years for females.

It is the county seat of Franklin County, and its size has grown as it has annexed areas of Fairfield County and Delaware County. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812.

Metro Area and Population Density

Columbus is the core city of the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area, which spreads ten counties and is the third largest metropolitan area in the state, nearly tied with the Cleveland MSA and just behind the Cincinnati MSA. The Columbus metro area is the 28th largest in the country with a population of 2.4 million. The city proper has a population density of 3,625 people per square mile.

Recent Notable Rankings

Columbus was named as one of the top 50 cities in America in 2012 by BusinessWeek, and it was given an A rating by Forbes a year later as one of the top cities for business in the country. It was also recently named as one of the top cities to relocate in the country and the number 3 best city of the future.

Columbus Diversity and Religion

The most common ancestry groups in Columbus are German (19.4%), Irish (11.7%), English (7.9%), Polish (7.2%), and Italian (5.0%). While European immigration to Columbus has declined, the metropolitan area has seen great increases in African, Latin American and Asian immigration, particularly from China, Mexico, India, and Somalia. The city has a diverse Asian population, although the Hispanic community is mostly Mexican with a sizable Puerto Rican population. About 116,000 people in Columbus are foreign-born, which accounts for about 82% of new residents. 40% came from Asia, 23% from Africa, 22% from Latin America and 13% immigrated from Europe.

Columbus also has a large LGBT community of around 35,000. It was rated as one of the best cities in the U.S. for lesbians and gay people, as well as the most underrated gay city.

37.6% of Columbus residents report they are religious. Of this group, 15.7% are Protestant, 13.7% are Catholic, 1.5% are Jewish, 0.6% are Muslim and 0.5% are Mormon.

Columbus Population Growth

The Columbus area is currently leading Ohio in population growth, as it has been for several years, both in terms of a percentage share and absolute terms. While four northern Ohio counties ranked in the top 10 nationally for population decline in 2013, Columbus grew by 1.4%.

The Columbus area was once known as the Ohio Country, and the French Empire controlled it in the 18th century during a time when it was a fur trading point. The region was often caught between Native American and European interests. In the 1750s, George Washington was sent to the area by the Ohio Company to survey, and a fight over the territory led to the Seven Years' War with the French and Indian War. The region was ceded to the British Empire in 1763.

After the American Revolution, the Ohio Country came under the control of the United States. When colonists from the East Coast attempted to move to the area expecting empty land, they found several Indian peoples, including the Miami, Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Wyandot nations, who resisted this expansion by the U.S.

After Ohio became a state in 1803, Columbus was chosen as a site for the new capital because it was located centrally and easily accessible. Before this decision, Columbus did not exist. It was designed from the beginning as the capital for the state, and it was founded in 1812 and named in honor of Christopher Columbus. It was chartered as a city in 1834 with a population of 3,500. It became a significant base for the Union Army during the Civil War and housed 26,000 troops as well as 9,000 Confederate prisoners of war in present-day west Columbus. It is now the site of one of the largest Confederate cemeteries in the North.

By 1990, Columbus became the largest city in Ohio in terms of size and population.

Columbus Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Columbus was:

  • White: 54.89%
  • Black or African American: 29.14%
  • Two or more races: 7.08%
  • Asian: 5.8%
  • Other race: 2.84%
  • Native American: 0.22%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
State
Ohio
Land Area (mi²)
219.2 sq mi
Density (mi²)
4,150.10/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
0.38% (3,410)
The current population of Columbus, Ohio is 909,676 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 906,266.

Columbus, Ohio Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White495,31154.89%
Black or African American263,00029.14%
Two or more races63,9287.08%
Asian52,3535.8%
Other race25,6592.84%
Native American1,9670.22%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2310.03%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Columbus Population by Race

Columbus Population Pyramid 2024

Columbus Median Age

32.7

Total

32.3

Male

33.2

Female

Columbus Adults

There are 704,434 adults, (96,905 of whom are seniors) in Columbus.

Columbus Age Dependency

48.5

Age Dependency Ratio

16

Old Age Dependency Ratio

32.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Columbus Sex Ratio

Female458,71550.83%
Male443,73449.17%

Columbus Population by Age

Columbus Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All382,1402.344.755.3
Non Family182,4651.3433.866.2
Married122,0803.1567.932.1
Female57,5173.2832.867.2
Male20,0783.163763

3.07

Average Family Size

2.3

Average Household Size

44.7%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Columbus Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Columbus Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Columbus Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 97.17%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 60.16%.

Columbus Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$46,131

Average Earnings

$50,220

Average Male

$41,832

Average Female

Columbus Earnings by Educational Attainment

Columbus Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Columbus Language

82.88% of Columbus residents speak only English, while 17.12% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other languages, which is spoken by 5.73% of the population.

Columbus Language

Columbus Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black259,96470,69227.19%
White463,82058,45512.6%
Hispanic59,12114,07523.81%
Multiple62,65613,79522.02%
Asian49,9206,94313.91%
Other25,3105,55221.94%
Native1,95350325.76%
Islander2255022.22%

18.13%

Overall Poverty Rate

17.25%

Male Poverty Rate

18.98%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Columbus

The race most likely to be in poverty in Columbus is Black, with 27.19% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Columbus is White, with 12.6% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.82%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.78%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.75%.

Columbus Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade32.73%
High School18%
Some College13.13%
Bachelors or Greater5.6%

Columbus Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed43.77%
Male Unemployed35.95%
Female Employed9.55%
Male Employed7.22%

Columbus Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Columbus Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Columbus Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

36.5%

Overall Marriage Rate

38.3%

Male Marriage Rate

34.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Columbus Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Columbus Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Columbus Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Columbus Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

37,041

Number of Veterans

33,070

Male Veterans

3,971

Female Veterans

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Columbus Veterans by War

count

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Columbus Veterans by Age

count

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Columbus Veterans by Race

Columbus Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.61%

Veteran Poverty Rate

24.74%

Veteran Disability Rate

Columbus Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

70.5%

Labor Force Participation

66.8%

Employment Rate

5.2%

Unemployment Rate

Columbus Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Columbus Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Columbus Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

63.04%

Born in Columbus

86.01%

Native Born

13.99%

Foreign Born

7.37%

Non Citizen

6.62%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

86.01% of Columbus residents were born in the United States, with 63.04% having been born in Ohio. 7.37% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.

Columbus Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029913,9388520.09%
2028913,0868530.09%
2027912,2338520.09%
2026911,3818530.09%
2025910,5288520.09%
2024909,6768530.09%
2023908,8238520.09%
2022907,9714,9200.54%
2021903,051-3,215-0.35%
2020906,2666,3580.71%
2019899,9088,4600.95%
2018891,4489,1951.04%
2017882,25314,8691.71%
2016867,38412,1081.42%
2015855,27613,3451.59%
2014841,93113,9371.68%
2013827,99415,1221.86%
2012812,87212,1951.52%
2011800,6779,7351.23%
2010790,94200%
2000711,47078,56012.41%
1990632,91067,88912.02%
1980565,02124,9964.63%
1970540,02568,70914.58%
1960471,31695,41525.38%
1950375,90169,81422.81%
1940306,08715,5235.34%
1930290,56453,53322.58%
1920237,03155,52030.59%
1910181,51155,95144.56%
1900125,56037,41042.44%
189088,15036,50370.68%
188051,64720,37365.14%
187031,27412,72068.56%
186018,5546723.76%
185017,88211,834195.67%
18406,0483,648152%
18302,400-911,538-99.74%
showing: 38 rows

Columbus Population by Year