Columbus vs Springfield
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $245,000 in Springfield and $252,900 in Columbus.
- Households earn more in Columbus ($66,082 vs $52,656 median).
- Springfield gets far more snow: 52 inches a year vs 28.
- Columbus is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs -0.8%.
Side by side
| Columbus, OH | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 938,396 | 154,702 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | -0.8% |
| People per square mile | 4,236 | 4,854 |
| Median age | 33.2 | 33.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 21% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,082 | $52,656 |
| Median home value | $252,900 | $245,000 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,295 | $1,144 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 95.5 | 96.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 87.9 | 75.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,600 | $72,000 |
| Homeowners | 44% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 2.75% | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.29% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.5 | 20.2 |
| Work from home | 18% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 18.1% | 25.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 37° / 22° | 35° / 19° |
| July high / low | 85° / 65° | 85° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 47 in |
| Snowfall per year | 28 in | 52 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 21 | 20 |
| Nights below freezing | 103 | 126 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.1 | 92.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 40% | 76% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +4.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +46.1% | +44.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Columbus: April to June and August to October. Springfield: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Columbus weather by month and Springfield weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,600 in Columbus and $72,000 in Springfield. Moving from Columbus to Springfield, you would need about $75,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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