Housing data for Columbus, MN
Columbus, MN has an estimated 4,248 residents and 1,730 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Anoka County.
11.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,653 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+4.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,248 (±24)
- Housing units
- 1,730 (±96)
- Households that rent
- 11.3%
- Median gross rent
- $1,653
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +4.8%
What stands out in Columbus
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 3.6% (±3.7 points) in Columbus, lower than in Anoka County (13.3%).
Median real estate taxes: $4,843 (±$451) in Columbus, higher than in Anoka County ($3,271).
Households that rent: 11.3% (±6.6 points) in Columbus, lower than in Anoka County (19.8%).
Median home value: $460,200 (±$23,207) in Columbus, higher than in Anoka County ($346,500).
Housing in Columbus at a glance
- Median rent: $1,653 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 57.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 11.3% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $123,194 median household income
- Home values: $460,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,424 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,843 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 3.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 79.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 44.1% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 80.0% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 28.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +4.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 11.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Columbus against Anoka County, its state and the nation
| Columbus | Anoka County | Minnesota | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,248 (±24) | 370,349 (exact) | 5,739,445 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,730 (±96) | 141,863 (±93) | 2,545,030 (±1,535) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 11.3% (±6.6 points) | 19.8% (±0.7 points) | 27.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,653 (±$411) | $1,464 (±$26) | $1,280 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $123,194 (±$19,150) | $101,869 (±$2,019) | $89,062 (±$409) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $460,200 (±$23,207) | $346,500 (±$2,349) | $329,300 (±$903) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,843 (±$451) | $3,271 (±$34) | $3,357 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 44.1% (±10.3 points) | 40.9% (±1.1 points) | 52.1% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 28.8 minutes (±1.8) | 25.6 minutes (±0.3) | 22.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.8% (±4.3 points) | 94.2% (±0.5 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 44.9 years (±5.2) | 38.8 years (±0.2) | 38.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Columbus covers 44.8 square miles of land, about 95 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Columbus has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,055 (±22) | 4,248 (±24) | +4.8% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 1,556 (±91) | 1,730 (±96) | +11.2% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $888 (±$506) | $1,653 (±$411) | +86.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $275,300 (±$13,841) | $460,200 (±$23,207) | +67.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $89,773 (±$6,376) | $123,194 (±$19,150) | +37.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,853 (±$97) | $2,424 (±$252) | +30.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,115 (±$231) | $4,843 (±$451) | +55.5% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 6.4% (±4.2 points) | 11.3% (±6.6 points) | +4.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±16.3 points) | 0.0% (±11.4 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Anoka County
Columbus has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Anoka County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Anoka County recorded 109 violent and 1,080 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Columbus
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55025 | 53% | 25,891 | $1,412 | $405,000 | $98,382 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Columbus
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ham Lake | 4.2 mi | $1,173 | $442,500 | 6.3% |
| Centerville | 6.6 mi | $1,398 | $376,900 | 10.8% |
| Forest Lake | 6.9 mi | $1,421 | $393,500 | 27.1% |
| Lino Lakes | 6.9 mi | $1,874 | $407,200 | 7.9% |
| Blaine | 7.5 mi | $1,705 | $352,400 | 14.7% |
| Circle Pines | 7.9 mi | $1,496 | $293,600 | 12.8% |
| Linwood Township | 8.5 mi | $1,636 | $380,100 | 11.5% |
| East Bethel | 8.6 mi | $1,695 | $363,900 | 7.7% |
Places in Minnesota most like Columbus
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Plaine Township | $1,700 | $562,000 | $125,000 | 6.6% |
| Middleville Township | $1,600 | $412,700 | $117,500 | 7.7% |
| Buffalo Township | $1,375 | $431,400 | $118,194 | 4.7% |
| Mantorville Township | $1,625 | $453,000 | $122,436 | 6.2% |
| St. George Township | $1,500 | $398,400 | $111,417 | 6.2% |
| East Bethel | $1,695 | $363,900 | $110,000 | 7.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Minnesota.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Columbus, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,265 | $1,427 | $1,734 | $2,264 | $2,538 |
HUD income limits for Columbus, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $27,650 | $46,050 | $73,650 |
| 2 people | $31,600 | $52,600 | $84,200 |
| 3 people | $35,550 | $59,200 | $94,700 |
| 4 people | $39,450 | $65,750 | $105,200 |
| 5 people | $42,650 | $71,050 | $113,650 |
| 6 people | $45,800 | $76,300 | $122,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $81,550 | $130,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $86,800 | $138,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $131,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Columbus
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Columbus beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Columbus, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Columbus, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Columbus
What is the average rent in Columbus, MN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Columbus is $1,653 (±$411) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Columbus?
The median household income in Columbus is $123,194 (±$19,150) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Columbus, MN?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $460,200 (±$23,207) for owner-occupied homes in Columbus (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Columbus?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Columbus, MN is $2,424 (±$252) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Columbus?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Columbus, MN is $4,843 (±$451) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Columbus?
Columbus, MN has an estimated 1,730 (±96) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Columbus growing?
In Columbus, the number of residents went from 4,055 in 2015–2019 to 4,248 in 2020–2024 (+4.8%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Columbus?
The ZIP code that covers Columbus is 55025.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 55025?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 55025 is $1,412 (±$75) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Minnesota
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Columbus city, Minnesota (place:12718, in state:27).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .