Columbus, GA-AL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.20×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Georgia
- 3.16×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.23
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
22.6%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Georgia
- 24.5%-1.9
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-0.7
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.59%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Georgia
- 4.77%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.24
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.29%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Georgia
- 0.11%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.82
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Georgia
- 6.01
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.6%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Georgia
- 3.4%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.3
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+48.8%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+3.4%
Median home value
$184,900
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $939 | $11,268 | 19.5% |
| 2 BR | $1,088 | $13,056 | 22.6% |
| 3 BR | $1,445 | $17,340 | 30.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.6%
Median household income
$57,762
What's being built
Total TTM
592
+5.8% YoY
Single-family
558
2–4 unit
4
5+ unit
30
All 7 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscogee County | 204,572 | $182,300 | $56,622 | 259 | +6.2% |
| Russell County | 58,849 | $152,300 | $50,046 | 146 | +0.7% |
| Harris County | 34,914 | $278,700 | $89,184 | 174 | +9.4% |
| Chattahoochee County | 9,402 | $99,800 | $59,221 | 0 | — |
| Marion County | 7,508 | $122,100 | $50,484 | 13 | +8.3% |
| Talbot County | 5,793 | $127,200 | $45,098 | 0 | |
| Stewart County | 5,121 | $53,000 | $35,000 | 0 | — |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Columbus | 326,159 | $57,762 | 3.20× | 4.59% | +48.8% | 1.82 | 3.6% |
| Gainesville, FL | 341,067 | $58,946 | — | — | +56.1% | — | 5.3% |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 308,386 | $55,948 | — | — | +73.7% | — | 3.6% |
| Lubbock, TX | 322,285 | $62,288 | — | — | +35.7% | — | 3.1% |
| Spartanburg, SC | 330,119 | $62,440 | — | — | +65.4% | — | 4.9% |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 359,005 | $58,483 | — | — | +45.6% | — | 4.4% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-937
-0.29% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Muscogee County, GA | 1,279 |
| Lee County, AL | 806 |
| Russell County, AL | 659 |
| Harris County, GA | 331 |
| Troup County, GA | 188 |
| Fulton County, GA | 178 |
Who lives in Columbus
- Median age
- 36
- Bachelor's+
- 26.9%
- Owner-occupancy
- 57.2%
- Vacancy rate
- 13.0%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 45.1%
- Median household income
- $57,762
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.