Scores by category

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

Safety97#32/924
Economy84#146/925
Housing98#21/925
Health90#97/925
Healthcare62#348/923
Environment87#120/917
Education28#663/925
Infrastructure63#344/925
Community94#60/925
Leisure & amenities63#339/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Depression · low15.9%
100/100Nebraska 18.7%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · low14.3%
99/100Nebraska 15.3%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Nebraska 6.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Premature death · low5,037 /100k
98/100Nebraska 6,916 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Loneliness · low29.6%
97/100Nebraska 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Life expectancy · high81.2 yrs
97/100Nebraska 78.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Public transit commuters · low0.0%
8/100Nebraska 0.5%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
New business applications · low8.3 /1k
12/100Nebraska 11.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · high41.4%
15/100Nebraska 39.8%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.24%
21/100Nebraska 1.44%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Dentists · low44 /100k
24/100Nebraska 84 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.6 /10k
24/100Nebraska 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
16% (2021) → 56% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+39 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Firearm deathsWorsening
6.7 /100k (2021) → 13.6 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+104%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
5.0 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedImproving
2.3 /1k (2021) → 4.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+93%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.1% (2015-2019) → 88.8% (2020-2024)
+9.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
1,002 /100k (2020) → 547 /100k (2025)
−45%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, NE micropolitan area improved on 10 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 9 moved within the margin of error and 3 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.

Improved10

Traffic deaths−43%14.6 /100k → 8.4 /100k
Overdose deaths−100%4.8 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Property crime−45%1,002 /100k → 547 /100k
Grocery stores+5.1%2.5 /10k → 2.6 /10k
Broadband+9.7 points79.1% → 88.8%

Declined7

Libraries−19%1.6 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Firearm deaths+55%8.8 /100k → 13.6 /100k
Commute+2.7 min13.7 min → 16.4 min
Gyms−28%0.9 /10k → 0.6 /10k
Pharmacies−17%1.6 /10k → 1.3 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Columbus, NE micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.6 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	+8.3%	Improved	49%
Average commute time	13.7 min2015-2019	16.4 min2020-2024	+2.7 min	Declined	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.8%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Broadband subscriptions	79.1%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Improved	58%
Child poverty rate	12.3%2015-2019	9.0%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Distance to an airport	75 mi2020	75 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	18%
Drug overdose deaths	4.8 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−100%	Improved	99%
Effective property tax rate	1.34%2015-2019	1.24%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Firearm deaths	8.8 /100k2020	13.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+55%	Declined	8%
Grocery stores	2.5 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+5.1%	Improved	68%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−28%	Declined	13%
High school diploma or higher	88.9%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	57%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,7232019	$70,0512024	+30%	Improved	39%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4112020-2024	−0.003	Within the margin of error	63%
Median household income	$62,3052015-2019	$75,3782020-2024	+21%	Improved	18%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	8.3 /1k2025	+40%	Improved	41%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−17%	Declined	26%
Poverty rate	8.7%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Property crime rate	1,002 /100k2020	547 /100k2025	−45%	Improved	77%
Public libraries	1.6 /10k2019	1.3 /10k2024	−19%	Declined	4%
Rent as share of income	22.1%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Rent-burdened households	30.9%2015-2019	35.9%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Restaurants and bars	8.9 /10k2020	9.2 /10k2025	+3.5%	Little change	61%
Suicide rate	15.5 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+11%	Declined	36%
Traffic deaths	14.6 /100k2015-2019	8.4 /100k2020-2024	−43%	Improved	98%
Unemployment rate	3.6%2020	2.7%2025	−0.9 points	Little change	4%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.0%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Violent crime rate	99 /100k2020	79 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	56%

“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, NE micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbus, NE micropolitan 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, NE micropolitan area itself moved −3.3 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

45,357 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

17,365 households (±237)

Columbus, NE micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k12%2,150
$25k–50k19%3,268
$50k–75k18%3,204

Homes

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

Owners and renters

17,365 households (±237)

Columbus, NE micropolitan area
United States share

Own73%12,607
Rent27%4,758

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

23,022 workers (±544)

Columbus, NE micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%18,250
Carpool10%2,384
Public transit0.0%†5

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Columbus, NE micropolitan area.

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, NE has 1,287 employer establishments, 280 for every 10,000 residents (1.13× the US rate of 248), with 20,363 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,002. The Census Bureau also counts 3,585 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,287; 3,585 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 280; US 248
Paid employees: 20,363
Average annual pay: $53,002; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	96	20.9	1.35×More than typical	681	$59,138	288
Truck transportation	89	19.4	3.83×More than typical	606	$49,736	276
Ambulatory health care services	78	17	0.81×About typical	786	$69,230	62
Restaurants and other eating places	68	14.8	0.81×About typical	1,038	$18,172	21
Lessors of real estate	47	10.2	0.83×About typical	203	$56,635	370
Automotive repair and maintenance	46	10	1.99×More than typical	223	$38,964	73
Construction of buildings	44	9.6	1.27×More than typical	556	$76,996	126
Insurance agencies and brokerages	42	9.1	2.08×More than typical	109	$60,725	61
Building equipment contractors	40	8.7	1.45×More than typical	328	$55,820	55
Religious organizations	37	8.1	1.45×More than typical	348	$22,471	—
Banks and credit unions	33	7.2	2.22×More than typical	391	$63,731	—
Gasoline stations	32	7	2.15×More than typical	387	$34,150	—

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 45,960 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 $409.4K on contracts performed in Columbus, NE micropolitan area: $8.79 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $409.4K
Per resident: $8.79; US $1,994
Sole-source: 71%; US 30%
Single offer: 9.0%; 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

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$286.4K70%
Environmental Protection Agency$132.6K32%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$1,6180.4%

Top recipients

NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT$290.2K71%
TETRA TECH, INC.$95.6K23%
CH2M HILL, INC$37K9.0%
MIDWEST MEDICAL TRANSPORT COMPANY, LLC$1,6180.4%
MEAD HOLDING COMPANY, INC.-$3,8560.0%

Spending by fiscal year

414.6KFY2017
955.1KFY2018
966.9KFY2019
1.3MFY2020
318.2KFY2021
6.3MFY2022
8.1MFY2023
1.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$290.2K71%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$95.6K23%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$37K9.0%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$1,6180.4%

Largest awards

COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000008856/4100026494/BEEF PATTY CKD FRZ 2.0 MMA CTN-40 LB$1.8M
CARGILL MEAT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION· Platte County, NE· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 16, 2022 – Apr 9, 2026· 123J1423C0204
R7 DES: 10TH STREET OU2 FOCUSED FEASIBILITY STUDY (FFS) TECHNICAL SUPPORT$1.2M
CH2M HILL, INC· Platte County, NE· Facilities & utilities· Oct 18, 2022 – Dec 9, 2025· 68HE0723F0003
ELECTRIC (UTILITY) SERVICE FOR PINE RIDGE AGENCY$300K
NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT· Platte County, NE· Facilities & utilities· Aug 11, 2026 – Aug 11, 2026· 140A0126C0010
ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICES FOR THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS (BIA), PINE RIDGE AGENCY IN PINE RIDGE, SD.

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 $266M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Columbus, NE micropolitan area: $5,711 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $266M; −44% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,711; US $12,955
Loan face value: $10.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 8.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$166.2M62%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$19.5M7.3%

Counties in Columbus, NE

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

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ColumbusPrincipal city24,488

Largest cities and towns

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

Other metro and micro areas in Nebraska

Areas based in Nebraska, 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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M18100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Columbus, NE micropolitan 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

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, NE

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Nebraska

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

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

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