Housing data for Columbus, NC
Columbus, NC has an estimated 1,071 residents and 525 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Polk County.
36.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $788 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,071 (±292)
- Housing units
- 525 (±125)
- Households that rent
- 36.6%
- Median gross rent
- $788
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −8.2%
What stands out in Columbus
Households that rent: 36.6% (±10.7 points) in Columbus, higher than in Polk County (23.1%).
Average commute: 21.4 minutes (±5.0) in Columbus, lower than in Polk County (28.4 minutes).
Median home value: $265,700 (±$28,252) in Columbus, lower than in Polk County ($315,000).
Housing in Columbus at a glance
- Median rent: $788 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,067 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 37.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 36.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $60,169 median household income
- Home values: $265,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,243 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,895 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 10.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 39.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 57.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 12.4% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 66.3% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 21.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 0 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −8.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 23.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Columbus against Polk County, its state and the nation
| Columbus | Polk County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,071 (±292) | 19,891 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 525 (±125) | 11,042 (±93) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 36.6% (±10.7 points) | 23.1% (±3.3 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $788 (±$476) | $1,178 (±$119) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $60,169 (±$15,642) | $67,758 (±$6,109) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $265,700 (±$28,252) | $315,000 (±$21,515) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,895 (±$298) | $1,697 (±$85) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 57.4% (±17.7 points) | 44.5% (±3.9 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.4 minutes (±5.0) | 28.4 minutes (±2.1) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 74.0% (±10.6 points) | 84.8% (±2.4 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 54.4 years (±14.8) | 54.9 years (±0.2) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Columbus covers 3.8 square miles of land, about 285 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Columbus has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,167 (±235) | 1,071 (±292) | −8.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 548 (±81) | 525 (±125) | −4.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $692 (±$241) | $788 (±$476) | +13.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $157,600 (±$17,273) | $265,700 (±$28,252) | +68.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $34,375 (±$12,064) | $60,169 (±$15,642) | +75.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $892 (±$275) | $1,243 (±$191) | +39.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,222 (±$201) | $1,895 (±$298) | +55.1% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 48.5% (±9.5 points) | 36.6% (±10.7 points) | −11.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.2% (±9.3 points) | 12.4% (±11.2 points) | +2.2 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 Columbus
In 2025, the Columbus Police Department reported 0 violent and 1,425 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Polk County, the departments that report recorded 131 violent and 1,100 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Columbus
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tryon | 3.3 mi | $1,288 | $306,900 | 44.0% |
| Landrum | 5.4 mi | $486 | $215,000 | 22.2% |
| Saluda | 7.8 mi | $1,263 | $372,400 | 16.3% |
| Campobello | 9.3 mi | $1,332 | $271,800 | 22.6% |
| Dana | 9.8 mi | $775 | $249,700 | 16.2% |
| East Flat Rock | 12 mi | $1,015 | $245,900 | 35.9% |
| Edneyville | 13 mi | $836 | $286,400 | 45.6% |
| Lake Lure | 14 mi | $786 | $627,000 | 11.9% |
Places in North Carolina most like Columbus
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherfordton | $860 | $288,400 | $59,375 | 35.7% |
| Hildebran | $809 | $193,900 | $55,703 | 34.9% |
| Newland | $792 | $241,700 | $46,006 | 41.9% |
| Randleman | $801 | $184,700 | $53,456 | 38.5% |
| Thomasville | $879 | $179,300 | $60,935 | 37.6% |
| Tarboro | $843 | $185,500 | $49,796 | 42.8% |
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 North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Columbus, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $757 | $885 | $1,012 | $1,401 | $1,692 |
HUD income limits for Columbus, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,600 | $32,700 | $52,300 |
| 2 people | $22,400 | $37,350 | $59,750 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $42,000 | $67,200 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $46,650 | $74,650 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $50,400 | $80,650 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $54,150 | $86,600 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $57,850 | $92,600 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $61,600 | $98,550 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Polk County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $93,800.
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.
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Questions about Columbus
Are renters in Columbus rent-burdened?
37.1% of renting households in Columbus pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Columbus?
Columbus has an estimated 176 (±66) renting households, 36.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Columbus?
The median household income in Columbus is $60,169 (±$15,642) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Columbus, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $265,700 (±$28,252) 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, NC is $1,243 (±$191) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Columbus?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Columbus, NC is $1,895 (±$298) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Columbus growing?
In Columbus, the number of residents went from 1,167 in 2015–2019 to 1,071 in 2020–2024 (−8.2%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Polk County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Polk County, NC
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Columbus Police Department (ORI NC0750300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- 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 town, North Carolina (place:13980, in state:37).
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 .