Jobs, pay and daily life in Columbus, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Columbus is a city in Georgia with 203,711 residents. The median household earns $58,073 a year and the median rent is $1,106 a month, which is 22.9% of the median household income. It is part of the Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 116,380 jobs.
How Columbus compares. Among the 100 largest places in Georgia, Columbus is #2 by population, #10 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #22 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #74 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Muscogee County, is #26 of 159 counties for average pay ($55,578).
Columbus has 203,711 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.9% of the population of Georgia. It covers 216 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 941 people per square mile. The median age is 35.4, 6% younger than the state median (35.4 against 37.6).
The median gross rent is $1,106 a month (rent plus utilities), 21% below the state median ($1,106 against $1,393). Over a year that is 22.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $193,900, which is 3.3 times the median household income ($58,073); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 50.8% of households own their home, 23% below the state average (50.8% against 65.7%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area has 116,380 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $43,540 a year, 15% below the national median ($43,540 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,900 jobs, median $38,630); food preparation and serving related (12,600 jobs, median $27,080); sales and related (10,930 jobs, median $30,470). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.2 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($101,380) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($75,270). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Muscogee County was 4.4%. 56.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Muscogee County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.1% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 12.1% work from home. 7.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 63% below the state average (7.4% against 19.8%).
30.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13% below the state share (30.5% against 35.0%). 5.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 54% below the state share (5.1% against 11.2%). The poverty rate is 19.1%, 42% above the state rate (19.1% against 13.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 45°F (7.0°C). About 1,277 mm (50 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (138 mm) and Oct the driest (72 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Phenix City (10 miles, rent 13% lower); Valley (28 miles, rent 8% lower); Opelika (31 miles, rent 14% lower); Auburn (37 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Columbus; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Georgia (1,096) →State guide: GeorgiaCountry guideMuscogee CountyGeorgia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,096 federal postings open in Georgia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Georgia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,060 | 1.41 | $23,300 | $19,580 | $30,670 | -25% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,580 | 1.23 | $28,180 | $21,520 | $38,550 | -20% |
| Cashiers | 2,900 | 1.25 | $26,980 | $21,250 | $31,800 | -18% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,790 | 1.10 | $82,500 | $65,090 | $101,610 | -15% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,490 | 1.13 | $36,910 | $26,060 | $46,520 | -8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,150 | 1.02 | $31,690 | $28,260 | $45,130 | -15% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,150 | 1.10 | $37,330 | $28,450 | $48,590 | -17% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,140 | 0.81 | $82,330 | $43,430 | $208,490 | -22% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,080 | 1.22 | $20,800 | $15,080 | $43,160 | -41% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,720 | 0.93 | $37,340 | $25,990 | $52,450 | -17% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,660 | 0.52 | $28,810 | $22,480 | $44,120 | -20% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,450 | 0.88 | $30,320 | $21,610 | $38,170 | -18% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,440 | 1.57 | $36,180 | $27,030 | $57,430 | -18% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,430 | 1.25 | $42,970 | $28,930 | $62,910 | -13% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,400 | 1.72 | $77,540 | $38,990 | $131,760 | -7% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,340 | 1.29 | $61,360 | $47,930 | $77,070 | -4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,300 | 1.02 | $37,570 | $24,740 | $58,530 | -21% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,180 | 0.76 | $47,570 | $36,550 | $72,320 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 1,160 | 1.38 | $37,440 | $27,480 | $68,700 | -23% |
| Security Guards | 1,150 | 1.20 | $29,720 | $26,680 | $53,870 | -22% |
These figures are for the whole Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $43,540 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 11.2% |
| Retail trade | 10.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.8% |
| Manufacturing | 9.1% |
| Public administration | 7.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.5% |
| Construction | 4.6% |
| Other services | 4.2% |
| Information | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Columbus lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscogee County | 203,711 | $13,842 million | $67,950 | 89,176 | 5,414 | $55,578 | -2.0% | 4.4% | 84,362 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 13,412 | 18.8% | $60,428 | 1.05 |
| Accommodation and food services | 10,768 | 15.1% | $22,830 | 1.33 |
| Retail trade | 10,354 | 14.5% | $32,946 | 1.16 |
| Finance and insurance | 6,649 | 9.3% | $95,582 | 1.84 |
| Manufacturing | 5,918 | 8.3% | $76,555 | 0.81 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,860 | 6.8% | $38,146 | 0.93 |
| Professional and technical services | 4,278 | 6.0% | $73,962 | 0.69 |
| Construction | 3,198 | 4.5% | $64,304 | 0.68 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,456 | 3.4% | $38,086 | 0.91 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,106 | 3.0% | $69,436 | 0.60 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,685 | 2.4% | $49,105 | 0.45 |
| Management of companies | 1,446 | 2.0% | $169,874 | 0.96 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,347 | 1.9% | $53,114 | 0.97 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,108 | 1.6% | $25,309 | 0.74 |
| Information | 758 | 1.1% | $57,553 | 0.45 |
| Educational services | 711 | 1.0% | $36,181 | 0.39 |
| Utilities | 247 | 0.3% | $106,112 | 0.73 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.1% |
| Public transit | 0.9% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 12.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,073 |
| Income per person | $33,739 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,106 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.9% |
| Median home value | $193,900 |
| Homeowners | 50.8% |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 89.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $43,540 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 5.19%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 30.5% |
| Born abroad | 5.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 56.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.0 | 45 | 102 |
| Feb | 9.2 | 49 | 117 |
| Mar | 13.2 | 56 | 118 |
| Apr | 17.5 | 64 | 114 |
| May | 22.2 | 72 | 93 |
| Jun | 26.1 | 79 | 110 |
| Jul | 27.5 | 82 | 122 |
| Aug | 27.2 | 81 | 112 |
| Sep | 24.2 | 76 | 86 |
| Oct | 18.7 | 66 | 72 |
| Nov | 12.5 | 54 | 93 |
| Dec | 8.8 | 48 | 138 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phenix City | AL | 10 mi | 38,499 | $50,053 | $967 |
| Valley | AL | 28 mi | 10,277 | $51,661 | $1,016 |
| Opelika | AL | 31 mi | 32,820 | $65,004 | $950 |
| Auburn | AL | 37 mi | 80,594 | $63,668 | $1,098 |
| LaGrange | GA | 37 mi | 32,078 | $43,708 | $1,073 |
| Eufaula | AL | 45 mi | 12,584 | $47,392 | $698 |
| Tuskegee | AL | 48 mi | 8,938 | $38,000 | $757 |
| Americus | GA | 49 mi | 15,813 | $39,176 | $834 |
| Newnan | GA | 60 mi | 44,235 | $82,292 | $1,542 |
| Griffin | GA | 62 mi | 23,761 | $43,632 | $1,110 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
203,711 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,106 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.9% of the median household income.
$58,073 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS county, Muscogee County (latest month 2026M09)).
Georgia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.