Columbus, IN Metro Area

Counties include: Bartholomew

Largest City: Columbus (2023 population: 51,522)

Population per Square Mile: 208.3

Square Miles: 406.9

Population over Time	Number	Rank in State	Percent of State	Indiana
Yesterday (2020)	82,208	14	1.2%	6,785,528
Today (2024)	84,741	13	1.2%	6,924,275
Tomorrow (2030 projection)*	86,984	13	1.2%	7,013,509
Percent Change 2020 to Today	3.1%	3		2.0%

*Projection based on 2020 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Components of Population Change, 2023-2024	Number	Rank of 15	Percent of State	Indiana
Net Domestic Migration	-430	11		4,268
Net International Migration	816	8		30,852
Natural Increase (births minus deaths)	104	6	1.1%	9,159

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Population Estimates by Age, 2023	Number	Rank of 15	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Preschool (0 to 4)	5,284	13	6.3%	5.9%
School Age (5 to 17)	14,931	13	17.8%	17.2%
College Age (18 to 24)	7,170	13	8.5%	9.6%
Young Adult (25 to 44)	22,250	13	26.5%	25.8%
Older Adult (45 to 64)	19,883	15	23.7%	24.2%
Seniors (65 and older)	14,485	15	17.2%	17.2%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center

Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2023	Number	Rank of 15	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
American Indian or Alaska Native Alone	420	13	0.5%	0.5%
Asian Alone	6,161	7	7.3%	2.9%
Black Alone	2,337	14	2.8%	10.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone	123	10	0.1%	0.1%
White	73,155	14	87.1%	83.7%
Two or More Race Groups	1,807	14	2.2%	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino Origin (can be of any race)
Non-Hispanic	75,998	15	90.5%	91.2%
Hispanic	8,005	10	9.5%	8.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Household Types	Number	Rank of 15	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Households in 2023 (includes detail not shown below)	32,984	14	100.0%	100.0%
Married With Children	6,353	16	19.3%	18.1%
Married Without Children	10,093	14	30.6%	29.3%
Single Parents	2,852	1	8.6%	8.9%
Living Alone	9,412	14	28.5%	29.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Housing	Number	Rank of 15	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State
Total Housing Units in 2023 (estimate)	35,882	14	100.0%	100.0%
Total Housing Units in 2023 (includes vacant units)	35,517	14	100.0%	100.0%
Owner Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	23,063	15	64.9%	63.9%
Renter Occupied (Pct. distribution based on all housing units)	9,921	13	27.9%	26.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Education	Number	Rank of 15	Percent of State	Indiana
School Enrollment (2023/2024 Total Reported)	14,029	13	1.2%	1,124,877
Public	12,583	14	1.2%	1,032,265

Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Income and Poverty	Number	Rank of 15	Percent of State	Indiana
Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2023	$65,564	2	107.1%	$61,243
Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2024	48	13	1.0%	4,813
Food Stamp Recipients in 2024	5,796	14	1.0%	608,295
Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2023/2024	5,919	14	1.2%	497,203

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education

Health and Vital Statistics	Number	Rank of 15	Percent of State	Indiana
Births, 2021	1,024	13	1.3%	79,946
Births to Teens, 2021	55	14	1.4%	3,845
Deaths, 2019	769	15	1.2%	66,005

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

Labor Force, 2024	Number	Rank of 15	Percent of State	Indiana
Total Resident Labor Force	39,713	14	1.1%	3,455,992
Employed	38,100	14	1.2%	3,310,992
Unemployed	1,613	15	1.1%	145,000
Annual Unemployment Rate	4.1	8	97.6%	4.2
March 2025 Unemployment Rate	3.3	8	97.1%	3.4

Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development

Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2023	Employment	Pct Dist. in Region	Earnings ($000)	Pct Dist. In Region	Avg. Earnings Per Job
Total by place of work	62,201	100.0%	$5,027,456	100.0%	$80,826
Wage and Salary	53,350	85.8%	$3,769,106	75.0%	$70,649
Farm Proprietors	484	0.8%	$34,376	0.7%	$71,025
Nonfarm Proprietors	8,367	13.5%	$457,721	9.1%	$54,706
Farm	548	0.9%	$38,958	0.8%	$71,091
Nonfarm	61,653	99.1%	$4,988,498	99.2%	$80,912
Private	55,338	89.0%	$4,549,212	90.5%	$82,208
Accommodation, Food Serv.	3,960	6.4%	$123,634	2.5%	$31,221
Arts, Ent., Recreation	662	1.1%	$13,233	0.3%	$19,989
Construction	2,568	4.1%	$168,445	3.4%	$65,594
Health Care, Social Serv.	4,786	7.7%	$362,444	7.2%	$75,730
Information	397	0.6%	$27,908	0.6%	$70,297
Manufacturing	19,496	31.3%	$2,214,464	44.0%	$113,586
Professional, Tech. Serv.	2,482	4.0%	$194,509	3.9%	$78,368
Retail Trade	5,819	9.4%	$233,644	4.6%	$40,152
Trans., Warehousing	1,647	2.6%	$73,997	1.5%	$44,928
Wholesale Trade	1,833	2.9%	$424,648	8.4%	$231,668
Other Private (not above)	11,548*	18.6%*	$705,213*	14.0%*	$61,068*
Government	6,315	10.2%	$439,286	8.7%	$69,562

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.

Residential Building Permits, 2023	Units	Pct Dist. in Region	Pct Dist. in State	Cost ($000)	State Cost ($000)
Total Permits Filed	156	100.0%	100.0%	$60,116	$7,695,489
Single-Family	156	100.0%	63.0%	$60,116	$5,961,199
2-Family	0	0.0%	2.0%	$0	$99,053
3- and 4-Family	0	0.0%	0.9%	$0	$40,460
5+ Family	0	0.0%	34.2%	$0	$1,594,777

Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Largest Cities and Towns in Columbus, IN Metro Area

Name	Population in 2023	Percent of Region
Clifford	212	0.3%
Columbus	51,522	61.2%
Edinburgh	370	0.4%*
Elizabethtown	414	0.5%
Hartsville	320	0.4%
Hope	2,144	2.5%
Jonesville	179	0.2%
* This place crosses county lines, so only population in this region is shown.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates