Housing data for Columbus, WI
Columbus, WI has an estimated 5,488 residents and 2,499 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Columbia County.
36.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $874 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+8.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 5,488 (±15)
- Housing units
- 2,499 (±193)
- Households that rent
- 36.6%
- Median gross rent
- $874
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +8.5%
What stands out in Columbus
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 24.8% (±8.2 points) in Columbus, higher than in Columbia County (9.8%).
Households that rent: 36.6% (±6.7 points) in Columbus, higher than in Columbia County (23.3%).
Rental vacancy rate: 0.0% (±2.5 points) in Columbus, lower than in Columbia County (4.6%).
Median home value: $230,600 (±$17,127) in Columbus, lower than in Columbia County ($283,200).
- Types of homes in Columbus
- Renters and owners in Columbus
- Vacancy rate in Columbus
- Home values in Columbus
Housing in Columbus at a glance
- Median rent: $874 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $909 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 39.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 36.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $75,427 median household income
- Home values: $230,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,610 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,774 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 24.8% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 53.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 66.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 70.4% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 24.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 93 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +8.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 26.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Columbus against Columbia County, its state and the nation
| Columbus | Columbia County | Wisconsin | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,488 (±15) | 58,272 (exact) | 5,914,872 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,499 (±193) | 26,880 (±99) | 2,778,572 (±1,533) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 36.6% (±6.7 points) | 23.3% (±1.5 points) | 32.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $874 (±$125) | $978 (±$43) | $1,087 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $75,427 (±$12,770) | $85,351 (±$2,745) | $77,485 (±$455) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $230,600 (±$17,127) | $283,200 (±$7,359) | $266,500 (±$1,051) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,774 (±$208) | $3,855 (±$82) | $3,792 (±$12) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 66.5% (±10.0 points) | 55.2% (±2.5 points) | 57.0% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.4 minutes (±3.1) | 26.0 minutes (±0.8) | 22.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 90.3% (±5.1 points) | 88.3% (±1.1 points) | 90.3% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 40.3 years (±2.8) | 43.7 years (±0.2) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Columbus covers 4.5 square miles of land, about 1,209 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Columbus has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,058 (±37) | 5,488 (±15) | +8.5% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 2,387 (±136) | 2,499 (±193) | +4.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $810 (±$72) | $874 (±$125) | +7.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $165,400 (±$19,167) | $230,600 (±$17,127) | +39.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $58,606 (±$6,901) | $75,427 (±$12,770) | +28.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,405 (±$85) | $1,610 (±$144) | +14.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,547 (±$244) | $3,774 (±$208) | +6.4% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 34.4% (±5.9 points) | 36.6% (±6.7 points) | +2.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.2% (±6.3 points) | 0.0% (±2.5 points) | −4.2 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 93 violent and 463 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near Columbus
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Columbus | 2.5 mi | $1,010 | $355,300 | 16.1% |
| Fall River | 3.5 mi | $1,190 | $243,700 | 32.5% |
| Town of Elba | 4.0 mi | $1,179 | $352,500 | 9.3% |
| Town of Fountain Prairie | 5.7 mi | $1,333 | $406,900 | 5.0% |
| Town of York (Dane County) | 6.4 mi | $1,716 | $405,000 | 15.7% |
| Town of Calamus | 6.8 mi | $844 | $371,000 | 13.6% |
| Town of Hampden | 7.4 mi | $867 | $367,900 | 15.0% |
| Town of Portland (Dodge County) | 8.0 mi | $1,119 | $281,300 | 13.0% |
Places in Wisconsin most like Columbus
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgerton | $961 | $266,900 | $72,489 | 37.6% |
| Watertown | $1,052 | $222,100 | $70,107 | 38.0% |
| Beaver Dam | $959 | $201,900 | $66,673 | 44.7% |
| Hustisford | $883 | $217,500 | $72,083 | 33.5% |
| Portage | $1,008 | $204,900 | $64,722 | 41.4% |
| South Milwaukee | $1,014 | $235,700 | $73,427 | 33.2% |
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 Wisconsin.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Columbus, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $791 | $868 | $1,136 | $1,573 | $1,623 |
HUD income limits for Columbus, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,550 | $37,600 | $60,100 |
| 2 people | $25,800 | $42,950 | $68,700 |
| 3 people | $29,000 | $48,300 | $77,300 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $53,650 | $85,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $57,950 | $92,750 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $62,250 | $99,600 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $66,550 | $106,500 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $70,850 | $113,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $107,300.
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
What is the average rent in Columbus, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Columbus is $874 (±$125) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Columbus?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Columbus, WI is $786 (±$114) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Columbus rent-burdened?
39.6% 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 898 (±175) 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 $75,427 (±$12,770) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Columbus, WI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $230,600 (±$17,127) for owner-occupied homes in Columbus (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Columbus growing?
In Columbus, the number of residents went from 5,058 in 2015–2019 to 5,488 in 2020–2024 (+8.5%), a measurable increase.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Columbus city, Wisconsin
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Columbia County, WI HUD Metro FMR Area
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Columbus Police Department (ORI WI0110300)
- 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 city, Wisconsin (place:16450, in state:55).
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 .