Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety86#127/924
Economy83#161/925
Housing85#144/925
Health50#464/925
Healthcare80#181/923
Environment51#449/917
Education74#240/925
Infrastructure96#38/925
Community51#454/925
Leisure & amenities32#630/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Columbus, IN metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Flu vaccinations · high57.0%
98/100Indiana 47.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · low65 /100k
97/100Indiana 254 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low0%
97/100Indiana 19%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,443
94/100Indiana $1,251United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Broadband subscriptions · high92.9%
92/100Indiana 89.9%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Lack of reliable transportation · low7.2%
87/100Indiana 8.1%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-2.8%
8/100Indiana -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Public libraries · low0.3 /10k
19/100Indiana 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.7%
20/100Indiana 24.0%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low6.7 /10k
22/100Indiana 8.2 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low1.2 /10k
24/100Indiana 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high21.4 /100k
24/100Indiana 16.1 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child care cost burdenWorsening
18.1% (2020 & 2021) → 33.2% (2023 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New business applicationsImproving
6.5 /1k (2020) → 10.9 /1k (2025)
+67%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.4% (2015-2019) → 92.9% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
59.6% (2010 & 2021) → 70.6% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Mammography screeningImproving
44.0% (2019) → 54.0% (2023)
+10 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
21.2% (2015-2019) → 11.3% (2020-2024)
−9.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Columbus, IN metro area improved on 15 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 5 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Uninsured−3.5 points9.9% → 6.5%
Child poverty−9.9 points21.2% → 11.3%
Traffic deaths−32%19.8 /100k → 13.4 /100k
Weekly wage+29%$1,122 → $1,443
Poverty−2.9 points13.4% → 10.5%

Declined7

Suicides+47%14.6 /100k → 21.4 /100k
Rent / income+3.4 points23.7% → 27.1%
Grocery stores−20%1.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Restaurants−12%7.5 /10k → 6.6 /10k
Commute+1.8 min19.7 min → 21.5 min

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Columbus, IN metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.8 /10k2020	3.3 /10k2025	+17%	Improved	68%
Average commute time	19.7 min2015-2019	21.5 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Declined	15%
Average weekly wage	$1,1222020	$1,4432025	+29%	Improved	88%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.5%2015-2019	34.1%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Broadband subscriptions	81.4%2015-2019	92.9%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	75%
Child poverty rate	21.2%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	−9.9 points	Improved	95%
Distance to an airport	41 mi2020	41 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	31.6 /100k2020	21.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−32%	Improved	59%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.71%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	41%
Firearm deaths	12.3 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.6%	Little change	46%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	10%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	23%
High school diploma or higher	90.6%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	44%
Homicide rate	5.2 /100k2020	2.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−44%	Improved	72%
Income adjusted for local prices	$57,9092019	$75,5482024	+30%	Improved	39%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4302015-2019	0.4462020-2024	+0.016	Within the margin of error	19%
Median household income	$63,4312015-2019	$79,9012020-2024	+26%	Improved	45%
New business applications	6.5 /1k2020	10.9 /1k2025	+67%	Improved	77%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−4.1%	Little change	59%
Poverty rate	13.4%2015-2019	10.5%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Improved	85%
Property crime rate	1,290 /100k2020	939 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	35%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−1%	Little change	55%
Public transit commuters	0.3%2015-2019	0.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Rent as share of income	23.7%2015-2019	27.1%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Declined	8%
Rent-burdened households	36.0%2015-2019	42.6%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Restaurants and bars	7.5 /10k2020	6.6 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	9%
Suicide rate	14.6 /100k2020	21.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+47%	Declined	9%
Traffic deaths	19.8 /100k2015-2019	13.4 /100k2020-2024	−32%	Improved	95%
Unemployment rate	7.4%2020	3.6%2025	−3.8 points	Improved	75%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.9%2015-2019	6.5%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	95%
Violent crime rate	100 /100k2020	65 /100k2025	−35%	Improved	82%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Columbus, IN metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbus, IN metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Columbus, IN metro area itself moved +1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

83,536 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

33,359 households (±397)

Columbus, IN metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%4,786
$25k–50k17%5,747
$50k–75k16%5,268

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

33,359 households (±397)

Columbus, IN metro area
United States share

Own69%23,123
Rent31%10,236

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−2.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

41,204 workers (±979)

Columbus, IN metro area
United States share

Drive alone76%31,133
Carpool7.9%3,268
Public transit0.8%†328

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Columbus, IN employ 13,220 people. 4 pay a median above the US median and 6 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Columbus, IN by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators2,980 jobs	2,980	$46,950US $44,650	+5%	6.62×
Retail Salespersons1,500 jobs	1,500	$29,840US $35,410	−16%	1.2×
Machinists1,470 jobs	1,470	$61,230US $58,750	+4%	16×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,440 jobs	1,440	$28,290US $31,200	−9%	1.16×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand1,310 jobs	1,310	$38,510US $40,240	−4%	1.38×
Mechanical Engineers1,000 jobs	1,000	$127,700US $104,110	+23%	11×
Industrial Engineers910 jobs	910	$97,480US $102,440	−5%	7.76×
Cashiers900 jobs	900	$29,280US $32,880	−11%	0.91×
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers900 jobs	900	$49,030US $48,570	+1%	4.7×
Stockers and Order Fillers810 jobs	810	$32,130US $37,330	−14%	0.89×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Columbus, IN.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Columbus, IN has 1,950 employer establishments, 232 for every 10,000 residents (0.93× the US rate of 248), with 47,016 paid employees at an average annual pay of $65,245. The Census Bureau also counts 5,156 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,950; 5,156 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 232; US 248
Paid employees: 47,016
Average annual pay: $65,245; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Columbus, IN by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	185	22	1.06×About typical	2,025	$78,276	227
Restaurants and other eating places	141	16.8	0.91×About typical	3,349	$20,841	12
Specialty trade contractors	103	12.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	904	$56,590	334
Lessors of real estate	81	9.6	0.78×Fewer than typical	260	$41,235	652
Limited-service restaurants	70	8.3	1.04×About typical	1,678	$19,150	6
Construction of buildings	63	7.5	0.99×About typical	870	$67,155	180
Religious organizations	62	7.4	1.33×More than typical	535	$23,077	—
Clothing and accessories stores	60	7.1	1.97×More than typical	877	$17,686	47
Offices of physicians	60	7.1	1.10×About typical	860	$111,327	43
Full-service restaurants	56	6.7	0.87×About typical	1,496	$22,611	4
Offices of other health practitioners	52	6.2	1.02×About typical	269	$43,364	105
Services to buildings and dwellings	51	6.1	0.90×About typical	306	$30,660	359

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 84,071 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $41M on contracts performed in Columbus, IN metro area: $478 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $41M; −74% vs FY2025
Per resident: $478; US $1,994
Sole-source: 99.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$40.8M99%
Department of Veterans Affairs$86.6K0.2%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$57.1K0.1%
United States Mint$52.2K0.1%
Defense Logistics Agency$29.7K0.1%
Defense Information Systems Agency$22K0.1%

Top recipients

CUMMINS INC.$40.8M99%
ORTHOTIC & PROSTHETIC DESIGNS, LLC$86.6K0.2%
SERVCO PACIFIC INC$50K0.1%
EDINBURGH CONNECTOR COMPANY, LLC$30.6K0.1%
QXC COMMUNICATIONS INC$22K0.1%
CUMMINS INC

Spending by fiscal year

40MFY2017
38.5MFY2018
57MFY2019
68.9MFY2020
42.9MFY2021
40.6MFY2022
74.2MFY2023
110.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$40.8M99%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$86.6K0.2%
Electrical equipment manufacturing · 3353$52.2K0.1%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$50K0.1%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$30.6K0.1%
Other telecommunications · 5179$22K0.1%

Largest awards

DELIVERY ORDER FOR A QUANTITY OF 232 EACH, V903 675 HP BFVS NEW ON SKIDS AND 5 EACH, V903 675 HP COMMON SPARE NEW IN CONTAINER ENGINES.$39.4M
CUMMINS INC.· Bartholomew County, IN· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 11, 2025 – Apr 24, 2026· W912CH25F0205
DELIVERY ORDER W912CH-24-F-0136 TO CONTRACT W56HZV-23-D-0048 AUTHORIZING A QUANTITY OF 200 AMPV 675 HP NEW, AND 1 M109 675 HP NEW WITH PPH V903 ENGINES AGAINST THE SECOND ORDERING YEAR.$34.8M
CUMMINS INC.· Bartholomew County, IN· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jul 24, 2024 – Mar 17, 2026· W912CH24F0136
DELIVERY ORDER FOR A QUANTITY OF 120 EACH, V903 600 HP RWS REMAN IN CONTAINER ENGINES AND A QUANTITY OF 80 EACH, V903 600 HP RWS NEW IN CONTAINER ENGINES.$30.8M
CUMMINS INC.· Bartholomew County, IN· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 23, 2026 – May 13, 2026· W912CH26F0198

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $608.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Columbus, IN metro area: $7,096 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $608.3M; −6.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,096; US $12,955
Loan face value: $32.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$333.8M55%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$64.4M11%

Counties in Columbus, IN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Bartholomew CountyCentral county7685,729

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ColumbusPrincipal city51,824

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Areas based in Indiana, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M18020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Columbus, IN metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Columbus, IN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Indiana

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates