COMPARING TWO PLACES
Columbus vs Forest Lake
PLACE A
Columbus, Texas
VS
PLACE B
Forest Lake, Illinois
Columbus is 105% larger than Forest Lake. Forest Lake earns more, with a median household income $46,832 higher. Forest Lake has grown faster since 2000 (8% vs 1%).
COLUMBUSFOREST LAKEDIFFERENCE
Total population3,8211,865+105% vs Forest Lake
Population density1,2835,329−4,045
Population growth1.2%7.5%−6.3 pts
Median age34.642.3−7.7
Male48.7%38.6%+10.2 pts
Female51.3%61.4%−10.2 pts
Foreign-born12.3%41.0%−28.6 pts
White, non-Hispanic48.2%74.5%−26.4 pts
Black8.4%0.0%+8.4 pts
Hispanic / Latino40.5%21.0%+19.6 pts
Asian1.7%4.5%−2.8 pts
Other1.1%0.0%+1.1 pts
Median household income$49,418$96,250−$46,832
Per capita income$30,453$43,682−$13,229
Poverty rate31.5%4.0%+27.5 pts
Income inequality (Gini)0.5130.325+0.2
Bachelor's degree or higher27.8%48.3%−20.5 pts
Graduate degree13.1%14.2%−1.1 pts
Unemployment rate3.2%4.7%−1.6 pts
Labor force participation51.4%75.1%−23.7 pts
Median home value$241,700$346,400−$104,700
Median gross rent$879$2,586−$1,707
Owner-occupied68.8%95.5%−26.7 pts
Housing vacancy rate19.4%10.7%+8.7 pts
Rent-burdened households29.3%100.0%−70.7 pts
Average commute21.333.4−12.1
Worked from home9.3%4.9%+4.4 pts
Public transit to work0.0%0.0%Even
Uninsured13.0%1.9%+11.1 pts
Population, 1990 – 2024