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CITY

Columbus

Indiana · 52,655 residents (2025 est.) · 28.7 sq mi
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The short version

With 51,824 people, Columbus is a city in Indiana. Growth has run 33% since 2000, or 12,765 more people. There are 1,808 people per square mile. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $244,200. The average commute runs 19 minutes. 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $77,456, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Columbus

What changed most since 1990

  • Asian share1.8% → 11.5% (+9.7 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
  • Population31,802 → 51,824 (+63%)US over the same years: +35%
  • White share94.8% → 71.9% (−22.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 8 cities and towns in the Columbus metro

  • 1st in household income$77,456
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree40.0%
  • 1st in home value$244,200
  • 1st in diversity score57.1

Its weight in Bartholomew County

Columbus's population equals 62% of Bartholomew County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 88% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
51,824
+33%since 2000
from 39,059 in 2000
52,655 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,808 / sq mi
+33%since 2000
from 1,363 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
36.5
Unchangedsince 2000
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
28.7 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
30K36K42K48K54K19902000201020202024Columbus
202452K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.9%(3,557)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(3,578)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(3,243)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.2%(2,685)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(3,410)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.7%(8,139)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.4%(7,441)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.3%(5,865)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.9%(5,640)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749%(4,660)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(2,701)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(905)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,456
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $41,723 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,783
+99%since 2000
from $22,055 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.3%
+20.2 ptssince 2009
from 31.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.459
+2%since 2010
from 0.451 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade31.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$244,200
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,157
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $579 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2000
from 64.9% in 2000
39.2% rent
Vacancy rate
5.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.34 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.43 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
13.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
39.6%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+16%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90%(35,161)
Black2.6%(1,034)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(1,096)
Asian3.2%(1,248)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71.9%(37,253)
Black2.5%(1,295)
Hispanic / Latino10.7%(5,535)
Asian11.5%(5,956)
Other3.4%(1,785)
Diversity Score
57
+81%since 2009
from 32 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican8.9%(4,600)
Puerto Rican0.7%(354)
Ecuadorian0.4%(185)
Honduran0.1%(72)
Guatemalan0.1%(69)
Colombian0.1%(58)
Venezuelan0.1%(47)
Cuban0.1%(36)
Costa Rican0.1%(28)
Argentine0.1%(27)
Asian origin
Asian Indian7.3%(3,793)
Japanese1.2%(645)
Chinese1%(522)
Vietnamese0.5%(253)
Korean0.4%(217)
Filipino0.2%(98)
Burmese0.2%(92)
Thai0.1%(50)
Malaysian0.1%(40)
Pakistani0.1%(35)
Nepalese0.1%(34)
Taiwanese0.1%(28)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German14.5%(7,510)
English14%(7,280)
American7.8%(4,019)
Irish6.9%(3,554)
Italian1.8%(910)
Scottish1.7%(894)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(687)
Polish1.1%(574)
Dutch0.9%(447)
French0.8%(414)
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(323)
Swedish0.6%(319)
Norwegian0.5%(264)
British0.5%(240)
West Indian0.4%(219)
Swiss0.3%(173)
Greek0.3%(153)
Russian0.3%(146)
Danish0.3%(134)
Ukrainian0.2%(113)
Nigerian0.2%(102)
Hungarian0.2%(99)
Portuguese0.2%(98)
Jamaican0.2%(90)
Turkish0.2%(89)
Czech0.1%(68)
Ethiopian0.1%(63)
Haitian0.1%(58)
Austrian0.1%(51)
Belgian0.1%(51)
Serbian0.1%(43)
Arab0.1%(38)
Brazilian0.1%(28)
Lithuanian0.1%(26)
Finnish0%(18)
Croatian0%(16)
Romanian0%(16)
Slovak0%(15)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.0%
+12.4 ptssince 2000
from 27.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.2%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 84.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
18.4%
+7.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.4 min
+63%since 2000
from 11.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.3%
−13.9 ptssince 2009
from 85.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.6%
+13.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2011
from 66.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.5%
+5.9 ptssince 2020
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
9.5%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
49.6%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 38.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
Female
49.4%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
Foreign born
15.9%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.4%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 12.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 12.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.3%
+14.7 ptssince 2017
from 79.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 91.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 80.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
80.9%
−5.4 ptssince 2016
from 86.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.6%
+3.3 ptssince 2016
from 4.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.8%(7,118)
Married53.8%(11,337)
Widowed3.2%(672)
Divorced9.3%(1,959)
Women 15+
Never married24.7%(5,021)
Married51%(10,380)
Widowed8.7%(1,780)
Divorced15.6%(3,179)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 12.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 64.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.0%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 73.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.1%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 30.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.9%(293)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.1%(551)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.2%(829)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.3%(113)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(15)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,113 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Columbus, decade by decade

Columbus population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199031,802$69,264$143,52420.3%12.6
200039,059$76,005$189,45227.6%23.4
201044,061$70,901$202,69531.0%35.8
202050,474$81,676$211,25841.8%56.5
202451,824$77,456$244,20040.0%57.1

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Columbus

Tamiami
Pop 49,752
Country Club
Pop 51,296
Pensacola
Pop 53,817
Clermont
Pop 52,812
Places similar to Columbus
Head to head

Compare Columbus to nearby cities

COLUMBUS VS
Seymour
Income$64,426−17%
Home value$162,800−33%
Population22,450−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS VS
Franklin
Income$82,380+6%
Home value$231,500−5%
Population26,743−49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS VS
Greensburg
Income$62,655−19%
Home value$191,400−22%
Population12,315−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS VS
Shelbyville
Income$55,602−28%
Home value$174,700−28%
Population21,204−60%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbus, Indiana?

Columbus, Indiana has about 51,824 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Columbus, Indiana?

The typical household in Columbus, Indiana earns about $77,456 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Columbus, Indiana expensive?

In Columbus, Indiana, the median home is worth about $244,200, and the typical rent is about $1,157 a month.

How educated are people in Columbus, Indiana?

About 40.0% of adults age 25 and over in Columbus, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Columbus, Indiana?

About 11.3% of people in Columbus, Indiana live below the federal poverty line.

Has Columbus, Indiana grown since 1990?

Yes, Columbus, Indiana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 20,022 residents, a change of about 63 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →