Columbus, OH Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Columbus, OH: What You Should Know

Columbus is the capital of Ohio and the center of Buckeye fever, the unbridled passion for Ohio State University’s sports teams.

The Local Culture

Ohio State University, with an enrolment of over 61,000 students, is at the heart of this college town. The Ohio State Buckeye athletic teams are a source of enormous local pride. The football team has won eight NCAA championships and 40 conference championships. Don’t be surprised if someone shouts, “O-H!” randomly, and someone else answers, “I-O!” for Ohio, the Buckeye chant. There are Buckeye-related events throughout the year. The city also hosts the humorous Doo Dah Parade around the Fourth of July to celebrate freedom of speech. Expect a lot of good-natured silliness and fun. 

Plentiful Job Opportunities

Columbus enjoys a stable economy, thanks to a diversified base of businesses and a central location between Chicago and New York. There are 15 Fortune 1000 companies with headquarters in the city, including Cardinal Health, Alliance Data, Abercrombie & Fitch, and White Castle. The city boasts of a 22.4% job growth between 2010 and 2018; it has a highly educated population with 43% of all residents holding an associate degree or higher.

The Cost of Living in Columbus

For a large city, Columbus (population: 898,553) is inexpensive. Its cost of living is 3% lower than the national average. Food and transportation costs are also cheap – 17.2% and 14.2% lower than the national average respectively. Median gross rent is $928 while the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,084. The top rate for Ohio’s progressive income tax is 4.797%. Many municipalities also charge up to 3% of additional income taxes. The statewide sales tax rate is 5.75%.

Know Your Neighborhoods

More than 8,000 people live in downtown Columbus, which offers diverse housing options, from penthouses and industrial lofts to townhomes and garden apartments. 

If you like downtown amenities without living there, German Village is nearby. As one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, it has undergone extensive preservation efforts. Those who prefer the suburbs are attracted to Upper Arlington and Bexley for their topnotch schools, although Upper Arlington can be expensive. Capital University is located in Bexley, so it has more affordable apartments and housing that cater to students and employees.

The Local History

Columbus is the seat of Franklin County, but it wasn’t the first settlement in the county. Before the city existed, Lucas Sullivant, a land surveyor, built a village called Franklinton on the west side of the Scioto River. It was the first settlement in the area. Columbus wasn’t the first state capital, either. Chillicothe and Zanesville served as the capital, but Columbus was ultimately chosen as the capital in 1816 for its central location. The city grew quickly after the Civil War and annexed Franklinton in 1871.