Which is better, Columbus, OH or Washington, DC?

Columbus, OH comes out ahead of Washington, DC on 30 of 41 statistics where one end is better, to 11. Columbus, OH leads on Economics and Crime & Safety. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.

Which has more people, Columbus, OH or Washington, DC?

Columbus, OH has a population of 944,402 (15th of 477 US cities) and Washington, DC has 698,733 (22nd of 477).

How do Columbus, OH and Washington, DC compare on Median Household Income?

Median Household Income: Columbus, OH $66,082 (264th of 434), Washington, DC $109,870 (65th of 434) among US cities. Washington, DC ranks better.

How do Columbus, OH and Washington, DC compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?

Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Columbus, OH $252,900 (162nd of 434), Washington, DC $737,100 (376th of 434) among US cities. Columbus, OH ranks better.

Where does Columbus, OH beat Washington, DC most clearly?

Columbus, OH ranks far ahead on Price Level (Goods) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 93.6 vs 104.8; Average Commute (Minutes) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 21.5 vs 30.0; Median Home Value (Capped at $2M) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $252,900 vs $737,100.

Where does Washington, DC beat Columbus, OH most clearly?

Washington, DC ranks far ahead on Median Household Income (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $109,870 vs $66,082; Average Annual Wage, All Jobs (Average Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)): $91,930 vs $67,270; Burglary Rate (per 100K) (Crime Rates by City (FBI)): 193.3 vs 382.1.

Columbus, OH vs Washington, DC

Columbus, OH comes out ahead of Washington, DC on 30 of 41 statistics where one end is better, to 11. Columbus, OH leads on Economics and Crime & Safety.

41 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Columbus, OH

Wins: 30
Avg. percentile: 54
Categories led: 2

Washington, DC

Wins: 11
Avg. percentile: 36
Categories led: 0

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US cities.

Statistic	Columbus, OH	Washington, DC
Population	944,402 15th of 477	698,733 22nd of 477
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$66,082 264th of 434	$109,870 65th of 434
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$252,900 162nd of 434	$737,100 376th of 434
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	18.1% 301st of 434	15.4% 241st of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	95.5 167th of 460	108.9 tied 384th of 460
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$67,270 196th of 460	$91,930 tied 24th of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$1,295 192nd of 434	$1,954 354th of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	374.1 193rd of 395	746.8 329th of 395

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

EconomicsColumbus, OH · 14 statistics
Crime & SafetyColumbus, OH · 5 statistics

Biggest differences

The 19 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 239 US cities.

Statistic	Columbus, OH	Washington, DC
Price Level (Goods)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	93.6 tied 4th of 460	104.8 tied 362nd of 460
Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	21.5 169th of 434	30.0 384th of 434
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$252,900 162nd of 434	$737,100 376th of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	95.5 167th of 460	108.9 tied 384th of 460
Price Level (Housing Rents)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	87.9 176th of 460	151.1 tied 390th of 460
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$66,082 264th of 434	$109,870 65th of 434
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	$1,295 192nd of 434	$1,954 354th of 434
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$67,270 196th of 460	$91,930 tied 24th of 460
Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	382.1 313th of 395	193.3 172nd of 395
Price Level (Other Services)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	98.9 tied 208th of 460	102.3 tied 371st of 460
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	374.1 193rd of 395	746.8 329th of 395
Median Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)	$51,340 181st of 460	$71,060 tied 30th of 460
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	38.2% 172nd of 434	64.2% 48th of 434
Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	93.6% 127th of 434	91.2% 241st of 434
Murder Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	8.9 309th of 395	16.6 368th of 395
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)	18.1% 301st of 434	15.4% 241st of 434
Property Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	2,502.1 283rd of 395	3,070.2 329th of 395
Price Level (Utilities)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)	95.5 296th of 460	106.7 tied 329th of 460
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)	480.5 341st of 395	650.5 371st of 395

See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Columbus, OH or Washington, DC?: Columbus, OH comes out ahead of Washington, DC on 30 of 41 statistics where one end is better, to 11. Columbus, OH leads on Economics and Crime & Safety. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Columbus, OH or Washington, DC?: Columbus, OH has a population of 944,402 (15th of 477 US cities) and Washington, DC has 698,733 (22nd of 477).
How do Columbus, OH and Washington, DC compare on Median Household Income?: Median Household Income: Columbus, OH $66,082 (264th of 434), Washington, DC $109,870 (65th of 434) among US cities. Washington, DC ranks better.
How do Columbus, OH and Washington, DC compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?: Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Columbus, OH $252,900 (162nd of 434), Washington, DC $737,100 (376th of 434) among US cities. Columbus, OH ranks better.
Where does Columbus, OH beat Washington, DC most clearly?: Columbus, OH ranks far ahead on Price Level (Goods) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 93.6 vs 104.8; Average Commute (Minutes) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 21.5 vs 30.0; Median Home Value (Capped at $2M) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $252,900 vs $737,100.
Where does Washington, DC beat Columbus, OH most clearly?: Washington, DC ranks far ahead on Median Household Income (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): $109,870 vs $66,082; Average Annual Wage, All Jobs (Average Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)): $91,930 vs $67,270; Burglary Rate (per 100K) (Crime Rates by City (FBI)): 193.3 vs 382.1.

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