Columbus, IN

The affordability dashboard for Columbus, IN aggregates Census ACS 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes covering 67,468 residents, then layers in county-level federal data to produce an overall grade of B- (69/100). The headline inputs are median household income of $79,427, median home value of $234,652, median rent of $1,097 per month, and 35.8% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. These four metrics alone explain most of the variance between city dashboards.

Cross-agency feeds widen the picture beyond Census demographics. HUD publishes a Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in this county at $1,415 per month (studio $1,233, 1BR $1,257, 3BR $1,697, 4BR $2,000).

Reading the overall grade requires reading all seven dimensions together. The score weights Income 20%, Safety 20%, Housing 15%, Rent 15%, Education 10%, Commute 10%, and Childcare 10%, with each sub-score benchmarked against national percentiles rather than state averages — so the grade is genuinely comparable across any city in the country. Strengths visible in the raw data for Columbus, IN include rent. Unemployment currently reads 4.2% and poverty 10.7% — numbers worth keeping alongside the headline grade.