The Top Pros and Cons of Living in Columbus, Georgia
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
If you’re moving to Columbus, you might want to know all of the other good points about our town. We’d also recommend learning our few not-so-good points, too, so you have an unbiased, 100% transparent view. To help you, we put together a list of the top pros and cons of living in Columbus, GA. If our quiet little town is your next destination, read on to find out more!
PRO: Cost of Living in Columbus is Affordable
One of the biggest pros of living in Columbus is the cost of living. At 74/100, our town is downright affordable! As with many other American cities with a low cost of living, much of the thanks goes to housing. We’re rated 38.5/100 in this cost, a full 60 points lower than the national average! That’s the kind of savings that can make a huge difference in your lifestyle, no doubt. All of our other living costs are under the national average also, except for utilities. (They’re not bad at all, though, at 104/100.) Here’s how all the cost of living indexes in Columbus stack up:
- Overall 74/100
- Groceries 94/100
- Healthcare 94/100
- Housing 39/100
- Utilities 104/100
- Transportation 80/100
- Miscellaneous 91/100
- Median Home Cost- $89,000 (The national average is $231,000).
CON: The Crime Rate Living in Columbus
Every American city and town has to deal with crime. Unfortunately, in Columbus, we have a bit higher crime rate than other cities of our size. Violent crime in our town is 36.8 compared to the average of 22.7 nationally. Property crime isn’t much better at 75.5 compared to the US average of 35.4. Columbus’ local government is working on the crime problem, though, and it does seem to be getting better. One ray of light is that the majority of our suburbs are safe and quiet.
PRO: Living in Columbus Means Lots of Activities
One of the best ways to describe Columbus is that the town is, at the very least, always entertaining. Being in the deep south, the weather here is usually perfect for outdoor adventures, and Columbus delivers. You can fish in one of our many lakes and streams, and boat on some too! If you’re a hunter, there’s more than enough game to go around. Hiking and biking opportunities in Columbus are both plentiful also, and camping is a favorite pastime here. Many residents in town rent a Columbus storage unit to store all their adventure gear. It’s easy, affordable, and keeps everything safe.
CON: Water and Air Quality Need Improvement
At a score of 60/100 and 42/100, respectively, Columbus’s water and air quality aren’t what you’d call perfect. For comparison, the national average for air quality is 58/100, and for water quality, it’s 55/100. So we’re almost the same for water (i.e., not so good) and worse for air than the average. It has nothing to do with the water that flows from your home faucet. Still, both air and water quality could use some improvement in Columbus, no question.
PRO: The Weather Living in Columbus is Nice
With a score of 7.5 out of 10, Columbus rates very highly in the weather department. The climate here is comfortable all year. Freezing days? Sure we have a few, but less than a month’s worth most years. From June through September, you can expect it to be hot as blazes, it’s true. Columbus has plenty of beautiful sade trees, though, to help keep things cool. We also get just enough rain to keep things green (but not enough to drive anyone crazy). Our weather is, hands-down, one of the best pros of all the pros and cons of living in Columbus, GA.
CON: Unemployment in Columbus is High
One drawback to living in a small town is that, in many cases, the job opportunities are small too. Columbus is no different, unfortunately, with an unemployment rate of 5% compared to the national average of 3.7%. There is a ray of light, though, as Columbus’s job growth has been positive for the last few years. If landing a big job with a big firm is your goal, Columbus might not be the best choice. By the way, the average Household income in Columbus is $43,300. When you compare that to the national average of $57,600, you can see we’re a fair bit lower.
PRO: Public Schools in Columbus Are Good
While we can’t claim that Columbus’s public schools are the best, they’re certainly better than average. Niche.com gives us a B score (which most students will say isn’t half bad). Out of the 60+ public schools holding classes, 8 of them get an A, and the rest get mostly Bs. That’s good news is you’re moving here with a young family. You’ll rest easy knowing that they’re getting a good head start in life in Columbus.
So what do you think of Columbus after reading our list? We hope, like us, you find our town to be open, friendly, and inviting. We’re iStorage, the self-storage experts in the south. If you’ve just arrived and needed a storage unit in Columbus, we can help! Our storage units are clean, safe, and affordable. If you have questions, you can chat online anytime with a friendly manager. Until then, we hope you love living in Columbus as much as we do!
