Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Columbus, Georgia population is 202,171 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #125 nationally and #3 in Georgia. Cost of living runs 11% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $94,394/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
202,171 people live in Columbus as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #125 largest U.S. city.
How big is Columbus?
Columbus covers 216.5 square miles of land and 4.5 square miles of water. Its population density is about 934 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population shrank 2.3% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 206,914 → 2025: 202,171 (-2.3%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
206,914
April 1, 2020
2020
207,016
July 1, 2020
2021
205,164
July 1, 2021
2022
202,697
July 1, 2022
2023
202,073
July 1, 2023
2024
202,072
July 1, 2024
2025
202,171
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 2.4% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Columbus is the #125 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #3 in Georgia.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
206,914
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
-4,743
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
-2.3%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+99
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.0%
within V2025 only
Density
934
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
216.5
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#125
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#3
of 538 in Georgia
What is the median household income in Columbus?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 28% below the U.S. median ($58,073 vs $80,734); 19.0% live in poverty, 6.6 points above the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$58,073
US
Columbus: $58,073 — 28% below the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Columbus
$58,073
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Columbus from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$58,073-28.1% vs US
±$1,832
Per capita income
$33,739-24.5% vs US
±$1,355
Population in poverty
19.0% ± 1.6 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 42% below the U.S. median ($193,900 vs $332,700); median rent is 22% below ($1,106 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 3.3× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Median home value$193,900
US
Columbus: $193,900 — 42% below the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,088/mo
US
Columbus: $1,088/mo — 1% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Columbus. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
4.1%
Columbus (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
82,276
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
12.1% ± 1.3 percentage points-20.2% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Columbus sits in Muscogee County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Muscogee County
17.3%
$57,609
4.1%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Columbus's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
13,654
$1,189 / wk
#2
Accommodation and food services (72)
10,810
$450 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
10,281
$656 / wk
#4
Finance and insurance (52)
6,504
$1,844 / wk
#5
Manufacturing (31-33)
5,976
$1,545 / wk
What workers earn in the Columbus, GA-AL metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest tracked occupation in the Columbus, GA-AL metro (4,060 jobs, median $23,300/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers
4,060
$23,300
$11.20
Cashiers
2,900
$26,980
$12.97
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
2,490
$36,910
$17.75
Customer Service Representatives
2,150
$37,330
$17.95
Stockers and Order Fillers
2,150
$31,690
$15.23
Waiters and Waitresses
2,080
$20,800
$10.00
Office Clerks, General
1,720
$37,340
$17.95
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
3,580
$28,180
$13.55
Registered Nurses · benchmark
2,790
$82,500
$39.66
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
2,140
$82,330
$39.58
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
1,340
$61,360
—
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
All items run 10.7% below the U.S. average (RPP 89.3); rents run 38.8% below (RPP 61.2) — the metro's housing affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 89.3
US
Columbus's cost of living runs 10.7% below the U.S. average (RPP 89.3 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 89.3
−10.7% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Columbus, GA-AL metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,088/mo
FY2026 · Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
5.19%
flat · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$7,866/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$3,178/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
5.1% ± 0.5 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (4.9% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Columbus's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Columbus, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Columbus?
Hottest month: July (92°F avg high). Coldest: January (36°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 49.9 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Columbus from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Columbus from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Columbus?
12 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 45% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Columbus from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
12 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
10
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
46.5%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
45.3%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
103,440
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Columbus?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 1,214 violent and 4,495 property offenses in the Columbus jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 603.8 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Columbus — an FBI jurisdiction population of 201,061, versus the Census place population of 202,171. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
1,214
603.8
359.1
Property crime
4,495
2,235.6
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 2-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
26
Rape
51
Robbery
102
Aggravated assault
1,035
Burglary
711
Larceny-theft
3,289
Motor vehicle theft
495
Arson (12-month reporters only)
6
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
630.3
2,350.9
204,986
2024
603.8
2,235.6
201,061
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Columbus · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Columbus sits at state rank #3 among 538 cities in Georgia. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Overland Park, KS · #124 · 203,677 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Knoxville, TN · #126 · 202,021 residents.
Quick travel facts for Columbus
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
292 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
Columbus Airport(CSG) · 4 mi 6 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Apr, Oct, Nov · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Columbus.
How many people live in Columbus, GA?
Columbus has 202,171 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #125 largest city in the United States and #3 in Georgia. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Columbus growing or shrinking?
Columbus has shrunk 2.3% since the April 2020 census baseline, losing 4,743 residents. The most recent year ticked up slightly (+99 residents, +0.0% from 2024 to 2025). Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Columbus's population in the 2020 census?
Columbus covers 216.5 square miles of land, with a population density of about 934 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Columbus?
$58,073, about 28% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID1319000
Last build2026-09-30
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Columbus is 1319000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
