Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Columbus gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $134K for a typical one, or 2.2 years of the Joplin metro’s $62K median household income. It grades C− overall, 119th of 150 graded towns in Kansas. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $38K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Only 3 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher January low than Columbus. Columbus Public Carnegie Library is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 6 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Columbus.
Where Columbus beats most towns.
3,312 counted in 2010 and 2,929 in 2020; an estimated 2,866 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Columbus is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 402 in 1870, 2,929 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and 2 maps from 1918 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 sends many workers across the state line to Joplin, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 2.2 years of the Joplin metro’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $134K) costs less against local pay than in 82% of Kansas towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. 64.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.5% across Kansas.
At $774 a month, Columbus’ median rent is below both Kansas’ towns ($977 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 5.9% in the year to September 2026.
| Columbus | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $774 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Columbus school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Columbus Junior High and High School, with 438 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–6 | Grades 2–6 | 348 | B− |
| Columbus Junior High and High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 438 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,862 U.S. towns with household incomes like Columbus’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of Columbus adults have obesity, above both the Kansas town median (37%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 18% of Columbus adults smoke cigarettes. Columbus beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Columbus | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Columbus | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.1% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 71 to 37 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Columbus weather station records that about 46 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 83% of Kansas places with climate records.
Columbus has chilly winters and warm summers. Columbus’ July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
26% of working residents cross a state line to work, Joplin among the top destinations. Columbus has about as many jobs (1,427) as working residents, but only 329 people both live and work here.
No town among the 151 in Kansas we compare has a lower median household income than Columbus. 25% of working residents work locally in Columbus. The top destinations are Pittsburg (12%), Joplin (12%) and Parsons (5%).
| Columbus | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $38,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Columbus.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Columbus | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 2.1% | 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. Columbus City Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 2. Reeves Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Columbus; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Columbus residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
6 notable people were born in Columbus.
City in Cherokee County, Kansas
Columbus is the second largest city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,929. It is located approximately 15 miles south-southwest of Pittsburg.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Columbus.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | #119 | C− | B+ | C | B− | C− |
| Salamanca Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Salamanca Township and Crawford Township 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 C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #119 of 150 in Kansas. It grades C− for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
6 notable people were born here, including Thomas Daniel Winter and Elizabeth W. Crandall.
