What share of people in Columbus are on low incomes?

39.3% of residents of Columbus had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 166th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Georgia: 30.5%).

Poverty and living standards in Columbus, Georgia: official figures

19.0% of residents of Columbus (37,734 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 143rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Georgia: 13.4%).

Poverty rate

19.0%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

25.5%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

50.5%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Columbus?

25.5% of children under 18 in Columbus lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (12,825 children), 132nd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Georgia: 18.3%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

What is the poverty rate for older people in Columbus?

By age, the poverty rate in Columbus was 25.6% for children under 6 and 16.9% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Columbus live in deep poverty?

18,800 people in Columbus, 9.5% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 142nd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Columbus are cost-burdened?

50.5% of renting households in Columbus spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (18,990 households), 302nd lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Georgia: 52.4%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many households in Columbus spend half their income on rent?

26.0% of renting households in Columbus spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 396th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Columbus are food insecure?

An estimated 24.4% of adults in Columbus experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 122nd highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 20.2% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Columbus compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Columbus ranks 143 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
140	Columbia	19.3%
141	Chattanooga	19.1%
142	Hammond	19.1%
143	Columbus	19.0%
144	Eugene	19.0%
145	Owensboro	18.9%
146	Pasadena	18.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Columbus ranks 132 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
129	San Bernardino	25.8%
130	Lafayette	25.8%
131	Fort Myers	25.7%
132	Columbus	25.5%
133	Apple Valley	25.5%
134	Baltimore	25.5%
135	Owensboro	25.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)

Columbus ranks 142 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
139	New Bedford	9.5%
140	Tulsa	9.5%
141	Chattanooga	9.5%
142	Columbus	9.5%
143	West New York	9.5%
144	Dearborn	9.4%
145	Conway	9.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)

Columbus ranks 522 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
519	Westminster	50.6%
520	Sparks	50.6%
521	Lafayette	50.6%
522	Columbus	50.5%
523	Johns Creek	50.5%
524	Yorba Linda	50.5%
525	Rapid City	50.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)

Columbus ranks 123 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
120	New York	24.6%
121	Yuma	24.5%
122	Chicago	24.4%
123	Columbus	24.4%
124	Fall River	24.2%
125	Apple Valley	24.2%
126	Tulsa	24.1%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Columbus: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)

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