Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Columbus is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 336th among Texas's 640 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 52% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $49K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $308K, 4.6 years of the county’s $66K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Columbus, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On walkability, just 23 of Texas’ 999 towns do better. Its National Register listings include Stafford Bank and Opera House and Colorado County Courthouse.
Where Columbus beats most towns.
Its founding year, 1821, comes before those of 98% of the Texas towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,959 in 1880, a low of 1,433 in 1920, 3,699 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), 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 has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Texas rate.
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cardinal Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Midtown Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Columbus ISD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Columbus H S, with 524 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 798 | B− |
| Columbus H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 524 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 5,576 U.S. towns with household incomes like Columbus’s, it is healthier than 68%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Columbus beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 41% of adults have high blood pressure in Columbus.
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Columbus | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 64.2% | 57.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.2% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Columbus weather station records that about 132 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 41.7°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 95.1°.
Columbus has warm winters and hot summers. The January low in Columbus is 42°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 42°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
31.5% of residents live below the poverty line, against 13.8% across Texas, which weighs on its C− for jobs and income.
Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 32% of residents (25% statewide). 20% of Columbus residents are 65 or older. Columbus has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 3,821 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 23% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Columbus | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.5% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.2% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.2% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.4% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.6% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.6% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.7% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.2% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.7% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,800, single groups can be off by several points
About one in 4 of Columbus’s working residents works in town. Columbus’ average trip to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Houston (20%), Austin (2%) and Weimar (2%).
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Columbus home is worth about $309,000, down 2.9% in a year, close to the Texas typical home.
| Columbus | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $879 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Columbus.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Columbus; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Columbus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
6 places in Columbus on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Columbus.
City in Texas, United States
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Colorado County in southeastern Texas, United States. Its population was 3,699 as of the 2020 census. It is located on the Colorado River. The Colorado County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A Santa Claus museum is located in Columbus.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Columbus.
Glidden has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Glidden reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Columbus with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbus grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #336 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
6 notable people were born here, including Bo Schobel and Matt Schobel.
