State
Land Area
219.2 sq mi
Density
4,134.4/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.86%
Growth Since 2010
15.15%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
2,140,350
Columbus is a city located in Ohio. With a 2020 population of 906,237, it is the largest city in Ohio and the 14th largest city in the United States. Columbus is currently growing at a rate of 0.86% annually and its population has increased by 15.15% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 787,033 in 2010. Spanning over 225 miles, Columbus has a population density of 4,134 people per square mile.
The average household income in Columbus is $69,315 with a poverty rate of 19.54%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $961 per month, and the median house value is $151,600. The median age in Columbus is 32.2 years, 31.6 years for males, and 32.8 years for females. For every 100 females there are 95.8 males.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Columbus was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2,140,350 | 18,080 | 0.84% |
2019 | 2,122,270 | 18,080 | 0.85% |
2018 | 2,104,190 | 21,610 | 1.03% |
2017 | 2,082,580 | 30,390 | 1.46% |
2016 | 2,052,190 | 24,620 | 1.20% |
2015 | 2,027,570 | 25,930 | 1.28% |
2014 | 2,001,640 | 27,580 | 1.38% |
2013 | 1,974,060 | 26,850 | 1.36% |
2012 | 1,947,210 | 20,870 | 1.07% |
2011 | 1,926,340 | 19,970 | 1.04% |
2010 | 1,906,370 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 515,143 | 58.64% |
Black or African American | 254,684 | 28.99% |
Asian | 51,131 | 5.82% |
Two or More Races | 36,494 | 4.15% |
Some Other Race | 18,349 | 2.09% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 2,373 | 0.27% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 379 | 0.04% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 357,128 | 2.39 | 44.7 |
Non Family | 166,657 | 1.38 | 34.3 |
Married | 116,636 | 3.19 | 66.8 |
Female | 54,552 | 3.43 | 31.2 |
Male | 19,283 | 3.36 | 40.5 |
3.16
Average Family Size
2.39
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 19,946 | 3.44% |
9th to 12th Grade | 39,075 | 6.74% |
High School Graduate | 147,849 | 25.48% |
Some College | 119,583 | 20.61% |
Associates Degree | 41,598 | 7.17% |
Bachelors Degree | 138,192 | 23.82% |
Graduate Degree | 73,908 | 12.74% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 350,306 | 324,556 | 150,694 |
Black | 153,334 | 133,087 | 30,171 |
Asian | 34,549 | 29,470 | 19,935 |
Hispanic | 27,053 | 20,445 | 6,286 |
Multiple Races | 14,696 | 13,323 | 4,834 |
Other Race | 9,606 | 6,712 | 1,600 |
Native American | 1,670 | 1,485 | 435 |
Islander | 206 | 156 | 93 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.65%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 57.70%.
$38,194
Average Earnings
$41,735
Average Male
$34,433
Average Female
84.23% of Columbus residents speak only English, while 15.77% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other languages, which is spoken by 4.55% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 250,787 | 74,465 | 29.69% |
White | 467,548 | 60,653 | 12.97% |
Hispanic | 53,365 | 15,299 | 28.67% |
Asian | 49,143 | 8,808 | 17.92% |
Multiple | 35,588 | 8,668 | 24.36% |
Other | 18,279 | 5,672 | 31.03% |
Native | 2,278 | 338 | 14.84% |
Islander | 374 | 44 | 11.76% |
19.54%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.35%
Male Poverty Rate
20.67%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Columbus is Other, with 31.03% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Columbus is Islander, with 11.76% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.02%. Among those working part-time, it was 28.61%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.63%.
36.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
37.8%
Male Marriage Rate
34.9%
Female Marriage Rate
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.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 27,431 | 6.43% |
Black | 9,823 | 5.51% |
2 or More | 1,095 | 5.45% |
Hispanic | 787 | 2.37% |
Asian | 448 | 1.07% |
Indian | 207 | 10.73% |
Other | 124 | 1.07% |
9.45%
Veteran Poverty Rate
25.86%
Veteran Disability Rate
70.7%
Labor Force Participation
66.8%
Employment Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
87.29%
Native Born
12.71%
Foreign Born
7.08%
Non Citizen
5.63%
Naturalized
87.29% of Columbus residents were born in the United States, with 64.51% having been born in Ohio. 7.08% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 906,237 | 7,684 | 0.86% |
2019 | 898,553 | 7,684 | 0.86% |
2018 | 890,869 | 9,175 | 1.04% |
2017 | 881,694 | 14,800 | 1.71% |
2016 | 866,894 | 11,944 | 1.40% |
2015 | 854,950 | 13,277 | 1.58% |
2014 | 841,673 | 13,876 | 1.68% |
2013 | 827,797 | 15,057 | 1.85% |
2012 | 812,740 | 12,133 | 1.52% |
2011 | 800,607 | 9,664 | 1.22% |
2010 | 790,943 | 79,473 | 1.06% |
2000 | 711,470 | 78,560 | 1.18% |
1990 | 632,910 | 67,889 | 1.14% |
1980 | 565,021 | 24,996 | 0.45% |
1970 | 540,025 | 68,709 | 1.37% |
1960 | 471,316 | 95,415 | 2.29% |
1950 | 375,901 | 69,814 | 2.08% |
1940 | 306,087 | 15,523 | 0.52% |
1930 | 290,564 | 53,533 | 2.06% |
1920 | 237,031 | 55,520 | 2.70% |
1910 | 181,511 | 55,951 | 3.75% |
1900 | 125,560 | 37,410 | 3.60% |
1890 | 88,150 | 36,503 | 5.49% |
1880 | 51,647 | 20,373 | 5.14% |
1870 | 31,274 | 12,720 | 5.36% |
1860 | 18,554 | 672 | 0.37% |
1850 | 17,882 | 11,834 | 11.45% |
1840 | 6,048 | 3,648 | 9.68% |
1830 | 2,400 | 0.00% |