Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Columbus earns a D, 220th of 258 graded towns in Georgia, mostly because of safety and health. Its police reported 730 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 88% of U.S. towns. Residents are less healthy than 81% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. 59% of working residents work locally in Columbus, above both Georgia’s towns (9%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Octagon House and Springer Opera House. Columbus's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 80% of U.S. towns.
Where Columbus beats most towns.
Octagon House is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 141 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Georgia towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,152 in 1830, 206,922 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1896 and 6 maps from 1949 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Columbus is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbus, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbus.
Columbus fares better on crime within Georgia than nationally and has commutes shorter than most of Georgia.
At 45.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Georgia’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 7,134 to 4,495 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Columbus’ violent crime rate is 3.6 per 1,000 residents. Columbus reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less. Columbus’ property crime rate is 18.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Muscogee County school district. Three of its 66 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richards Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 799 | A |
| Northside High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,405 | C+ |
| Britt David Elementary Computer Magnet AcademyTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 552 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
The typical Columbus home is worth about $176,000, up 3.1% in a year, 47% below the Georgia typical home. 51% of Columbus households own their home.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,106 a month | $1,160 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Columbus. Columbus beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 16% of adults have diabetes in Columbus.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 40% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 14% |
| What stands out | Columbus | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14% | 9.6% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.2% | 9.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.1% | 17.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
73 miles of trail in 20 parks and preserves. Standing Boy Trails, at 1,609 acres with 23.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Standing Boy Trails | 23.2 mi | 1,609 |
| 2. The South Commons Sports and Entertainment Complex | 4.8 mi | 124 |
| 3. Cooper Creek Park | 2.5 mi | 167 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 119 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Columbus.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Columbus has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Columbus is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 66,987 working residents takes 20.9 minutes, against 28.3 across Georgia.
The top destinations are Atlanta (3%), Phenix City (3%) and Cusseta (1%). Half commute less than 7 miles.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 9.2% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Georgia average. Columbus has lost 2.3% of its people since 2020, down to 202,171 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Georgia.
| Columbus | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 25% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 14% | 18% |
51.9% women, 48.1% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across Georgia, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.8, men 33.9.
| Columbus | GA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 11.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 12.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 5.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.5% | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.3% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.2% | 21.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 13.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Columbus. Close and well known come first.
28 mi MuseumLittle White House
36 mi Stadium & arenaJordan–Hare Stadium
in town MuseumNational Infantry Museum300K visitors a year
31 mi State parkProvidence Canyon State Park9 mi MuseumU.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection
23 mi GardenCallaway GardensLittle White House: Dsdugan, CC0 · Jordan–Hare Stadium: AuburnPilot, Public domain · National Infantry Museum: The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center from Columbus, GA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Providence Canyon State Park: Robbie Honerkamp, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Callaway Gardens: Thomsonmg2000, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Columbus
About 6 of every 100 Columbus residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
2 colleges in town.
141 places in Columbus on the National Register of Historic Places.
48 notable people were born in Columbus.
City in Georgia, United States
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970; the original merger excluded Bibb City, which joined in 2000 after dissolving its own city charter. Columbus is the second most populous city in Georgia (after Atlanta), and fields the state's fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the 2020 U.S. census, Columbus had a population of 206,922, with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan statistical area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form t…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Columbus.
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | #220 | D | C | D | B− | C− |
| Cusseta | — | — | B− | — | — | B+ |
| Box Springs | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cusseta reports no FBI crime data of its own. Cusseta and Box Springs aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Columbus with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbus grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #220 of 258 in Georgia. It grades C− for health, D for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
48 notable people were born here, including Carson McCullers and Wayne Brady.
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