Population
Bessemer
25,655
Columbus
23,616
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Columbus
$40,588
Home Value
Bessemer
$129,800
Columbus
$121,200
Rent
Bessemer
$922
Columbus
$882
Crime Rate
Bessemer
17.44
Columbus
N/A
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Columbus
76.4
Avg Temp
Bessemer
N/A
Columbus
N/A
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Columbus
9.3%
How Similar Are Bessemer & Columbus?
Columbus is Bessemer's #2 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Bessemer
25,655
Columbus
23,616
Both cities have similar populations — Bessemer at 25,655 and Columbus at 23,616.
Political Leaning
Bessemer
44.2%
Columbus
53.6%
Bessemer leans Democratic while Columbus leans Republican.
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Columbus
9.3%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 6% difference.
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Columbus
$40,588
Both cities have similar median income — just a 7% difference.
Home Values
Bessemer
$129,800
Columbus
$121,200
Both cities have similar home values — just a 7% difference.
Education
Bessemer
10.1%
Columbus
17.6%
Columbus has a 43% higher education than Bessemer.
Demographics
Bessemer
19.8%
Columbus
31.7%
Columbus has a 37% higher demographics than Bessemer.
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Columbus
76.4
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Bessemer and Columbus share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Bessemer
0
Columbus
Cost of Living & Affordability — Columbus leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDColumbus has a fair market rent (1br) of $743 vs $1,155 in Bessemer (55% lower). Columbus has a fair market rent (2br) of $872 vs $1,266 in Bessemer (45% lower). Columbus scores 62.0 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 85.6 in Bessemer.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a median property tax of $876 vs $1,215 in Columbus (28% lower). Bessemer has a owner-occupied of 55.1% compared to 48.0% in Columbus. Bessemer has a single-family homes of 76.3% compared to 67.5% in Columbus.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Columbus leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 5.3% in Columbus. Columbus has a poverty rate of 21.6% compared to 30.7% in Bessemer. Columbus has a per capita income of $28,006 vs $24,074 in Bessemer (14% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Columbus leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauColumbus has a bachelor's degree or higher of 17.6% compared to 10.1% in Bessemer. Columbus has a high school diploma or higher of 38.7% compared to 38.2% in Bessemer.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a population of 25,655, about 1.1x the size of Columbus (23,616). Columbus skews younger with a median age of 39.6 vs 42.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Bessemer
Columbus
Healthcare — Bessemer leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareBessemer: 2.8 vs Columbus: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 5.3% in Columbus. Columbus has a drive alone of 87.7% compared to 76.5% in Bessemer.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Bessemer, AL
Compare Bessemer against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.