What HUD offices serve Columbus, Ohio?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Ohio Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Columbus.
How many renters live in Columbus, Ohio?
The City of Columbus has 908,372 people living in 392,041 households.
There are 479,946 renters living in 221,886 renter households in this City. Renters make up 52.84 percent of the population living in Columbus.
What is the rental market like in Columbus, Ohio?
There are an estimated 429,289 housing units in the Columbus area. Of these, 237,302 units are rental homes, making up 55 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Columbus, Ohio, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Columbus?
The rental vacancy rate in Columbus is 5 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Columbus for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbus
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,206 | 58,888 | 105,340 | 41,263 | 7,326 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbus
A large number of apartments in Columbus have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Columbus are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 46 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 22 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Columbus
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $970 to $1,745. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $970 |
| One BR | $1,065 |
| Two BR | $1,302 |
| Three BR | $1,574 |
| Four BR | $1,745 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Columbus, Ohio
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Columbus?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 3,612 | 44 percent |
| One BR | 30,273 | 51 percent |
| Two BR | 54,537 | 52 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Columbus, Ohio
How many affordable rental units are in Columbus?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Columbus, Ohio including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 18,286 |
| Public Housing | 125 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 6,855 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 638 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 261 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Columbus, Ohio
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus features 9,331 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Columbus, Ohio
There are 13,079 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Columbus.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Columbus, Ohio
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Columbus landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Columbus.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Columbus, Ohio for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,172 and $1,432.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
