Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Columbus earns a D−, 92nd of 99 graded towns in Mississippi, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 91% of the country. The median household income is $42K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 27 places on the National Register. 40% of working residents work locally in Columbus, above both Mississippi’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Charles McLaran House and Friendship Cemetery. Among 99 Mississippi towns, just 9 have a lower share of households owning their home than Columbus.
Where Columbus beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Charles McLaran House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,611 in 1850, 24,084 in 2020. The archive holds 28 old photos and papers going back to 1835 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
27 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), 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 draws workers from New Hope and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
15,816 jobs are based in Columbus, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19 minutes, against 25.6 across Mississippi.
Columbus’ average trip to work is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Columbus has lost 850 jobs, to 15,816 in 2023. The top destinations are Starkville (5%), Tupelo (5%) and West Point (3%).
| Columbus | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 5.3% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Columbus Municipal School District. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 597 | D |
| Columbus High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 865 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,110 U.S. towns with household incomes like Columbus’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. Within Mississippi it is less healthy than 59% of the 101 graded towns: much of Mississippi scores lower on these measures.
49% of Columbus adults have high blood pressure. Columbus beats the Mississippi average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 32% of Columbus adults worry about having enough food.
| Columbus | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 45% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 25% |
| What stands out | Columbus | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.1% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 16.8% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
481 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 62 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 481 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
Only 47.8% of households own their home, against 70% across Mississippi.
Children under 18 are 18% of residents (23% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). Columbus has lost 5.3% of its people since 2020, down to 22,792 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 25% across Mississippi.
| Columbus | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 41.1 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.9 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Columbus | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.1% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.5% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.4% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.4% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.5% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.4% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.3% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Columbus's reported crime rate is above Mississippi's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 106 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Columbus | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.6 per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Columbus home is worth about $178,000, up 3.4% in a year, 8% below the Mississippi typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Propst Park, at 86 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Propst Park | 0.2 mi | 86 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Columbus
About 8 of every 100 Columbus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
27 places in Columbus on the National Register of Historic Places.
53 notable people were born in Columbus.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbus grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #92 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($51,117 across the Columbus, MS area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
53 notable people were born here, including Tennessee Williams and Henry Armstrong.
