Columbus, OH vs Winston-Salem, NC — Compare Cost of Living, Housing, Crime & More

Population

Columbus

906,480

Winston-Salem

250,887

Median Income

Columbus

$65,327

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Home Value

Columbus

$234,500

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Rent

Columbus

$1,224

Winston-Salem

$1,033

Crime Rate

Columbus

4.35

Winston-Salem

8.10

Cost of Living

Columbus

110.5

Winston-Salem

98.4

Avg Temp

Columbus

53°F

Winston-Salem

N/A

Unemployment

Columbus

5.1%

Winston-Salem

5.9%

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How Similar Are Columbus & Winston-Salem?

Winston-Salem is Columbus's #19 most similar city

3/10

3 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Columbus

906,480

Winston-Salem

250,887

Different · 72% difference

Columbus (906,480) is about 3.6x larger than Winston-Salem (250,887).

Violent Crime

Columbus

4.35

Winston-Salem

8.10

Different · 46% difference

🚨

Winston-Salem has a 46% higher violent crime than Columbus.

Property Crime

🔒

Columbus

26.53

Winston-Salem

29.21

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 9% difference.

Political Leaning

Columbus

35.3%

Winston-Salem

42.8%

Different · 18% difference

🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Winston-Salem has a stronger Democratic lean (18% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Columbus

5.1%

Winston-Salem

5.9%

Different · 14% difference

Winston-Salem has a 14% higher unemployment than Columbus.

Median Income

Columbus

$65,327

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Different · 12% difference

💰

Columbus has a 12% higher median income than Winston-Salem.

Home Values

🏠

Columbus

$234,500

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Different · 11% difference

Columbus has a 11% higher home values than Winston-Salem.

Education

Columbus

25.4%

Winston-Salem

24.1%

Match · 5% difference

🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 5% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Columbus

53.3%

Winston-Salem

48.7%

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.

Cost of Living

Columbus

110.5

Winston-Salem

98.4

Different · 11% difference

💵

Columbus has a 11% higher cost of living than Winston-Salem.

3 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Columbus and Winston-Salem differ in most key areas.

At a Glance

Columbus

vsof 8

Winston-Salem

Columbus leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability

Winston-Salem

Housing Market

Winston-Salem

Jobs & Economy

Columbus

Crime & Safety

Columbus

Weather & Climate

Tied

Schools & Education

Columbus

Healthcare

Winston-Salem

Transportation & Commute

Columbus

Cost of Living & Affordability — Winston-Salem leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Winston-Salem scores 109.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 132.7 in Columbus. Winston-Salem has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,232 vs $1,430 in Columbus (16% lower). Winston-Salem scores 98.4 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 110.5 in Columbus.

Overall Cost Index

Columbus110.5

Winston-Salem98.4

★

Housing Index

Columbus132.7

Winston-Salem109.9

★

Food Index

Columbus99.9

Winston-Salem94.1

★

Transportation Index

Columbus89.4

Winston-Salem88.2

★

Healthcare Index

Columbus99.9

Winston-Salem95.3

★

Utilities Index

Columbus106.5

Winston-Salem98.4

★

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Columbus$48,601

Winston-Salem$43,287

★

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Columbus$114,875

Winston-Salem$102,314

★

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Columbus$1,194

Winston-Salem$1,082

★

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Columbus$1,430

Winston-Salem$1,232

★

Housing Market — Winston-Salem leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem has a median property tax of $1,964 vs $3,165 in Columbus (61% lower). Columbus has a vacancy rate of 8.0% compared to 11.6% in Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem has a owner-occupied of 54.6% compared to 44.3% in Columbus.

Median Home Value

Columbus$234,500

★

Winston-Salem$208,200

Median Rent

Columbus$1,224

Winston-Salem$1,033

★

Median Property Tax

Columbus$3,165

Winston-Salem$1,964

★

Owner-Occupied

Columbus44.3%

Winston-Salem54.6%

★

Vacancy Rate

Columbus8.0%

★

Winston-Salem11.6%

Single-Family Homes

Columbus55.0%

Winston-Salem65.9%

★

Jobs & Economy — Columbus leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbus: 512,498 vs Winston-Salem: 122,917 for labor force. Columbus has a work from home of 16.1% compared to 12.3% in Winston-Salem. Columbus has a unemployment rate of 5.1% compared to 5.9% in Winston-Salem.

Median Household Income

Columbus$65,327

★

Winston-Salem$57,673

Per Capita Income

Columbus$37,189

★

Winston-Salem$35,074

Poverty Rate

Columbus17.9%

Winston-Salem17.9%

Unemployment Rate

Columbus5.1%

★

Winston-Salem5.9%

Labor Force

Columbus512,498

★

Winston-Salem122,917

Mean Commute

Columbus18 min

Winston-SalemN/A

Work from Home

Columbus16.1%

★

Winston-Salem12.3%

Private Sector

Columbus90.6%

★

Winston-Salem86.5%

Government Sector

Columbus42.7%

★

Winston-Salem41.8%

Crime & Safety — Columbus leads

Source: FBI UCR

Winston-Salem has a property crime clearance of 16.8% compared to 3.6% in Columbus. Columbus has a assault rate (per 1k) of 2.11 compared to 6.55 in Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem has a violent crime clearance of 44.7% compared to 21.8% in Columbus.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Columbus4.35

★

Winston-Salem8.10

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Columbus26.53

★

Winston-Salem29.21

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Columbus0.12

Winston-Salem0.11

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Columbus0.88

★

Winston-Salem0.97

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Columbus2.11

★

Winston-Salem6.55

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Columbus4.05

★

Winston-Salem5.70

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Columbus17.06

★

Winston-Salem19.97

Violent Crime Clearance

Columbus21.8%

Winston-Salem44.7%

★

Property Crime Clearance

Columbus3.6%

Winston-Salem16.8%

★

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Columbus53°F

Winston-SalemN/A

Avg Annual High

Columbus61°F

Winston-SalemN/A

Avg Annual Low

Columbus45°F

Winston-SalemN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Columbus180

Winston-SalemN/A

Annual Rainfall

Columbus39.4"

Winston-SalemN/A

Annual Snowfall

Columbus8.1"

Winston-SalemN/A

Avg Humidity

Columbus70.5%

Winston-SalemN/A

Schools & Education — Columbus leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Columbus has a high school diploma or higher of 42.1% compared to 39.5% in Winston-Salem. Columbus has a bachelor's degree or higher of 25.4% compared to 24.1% in Winston-Salem.

Public Schools

Columbus0

Winston-Salem0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

ColumbusN/A

Winston-SalemN/A

Colleges & Universities

Columbus0

Winston-Salem0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Columbus25.4%

★

Winston-Salem24.1%

High School Diploma or Higher

Columbus42.1%

★

Winston-Salem39.5%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbus has a population of 906,480, about 3.6x the size of Winston-Salem (250,887). Columbus skews younger with a median age of 33.0 vs 35.6.

Population

Columbus906,480

Winston-Salem250,887

Median Age

Columbus33

Winston-Salem36

Avg Household Size

Columbus2.3

Winston-Salem2.4

Married Population

Columbus31.2%

Winston-Salem34.0%

Foreign Born

Columbus14.4%

Winston-Salem10.7%

White

Columbus53.3%

Winston-Salem48.7%

Black

Columbus29.0%

Winston-Salem32.4%

Hispanic

Columbus7.9%

Winston-Salem17.9%

Asian

Columbus5.8%

Winston-Salem2.3%

Columbus

Winston-Salem

Healthcare — Winston-Salem leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Winston-Salem: 3.8 vs Columbus: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Columbus5

Winston-Salem5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Columbus3.0

Winston-Salem3.8

★

With Emergency Services

Columbus4

Winston-Salem4

Transportation & Commute — Columbus leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbus has a public transit of 2.1% compared to 1.2% in Winston-Salem. Columbus has a bicycle of 0.4% compared to 0.3% in Winston-Salem. Columbus has a work from home of 16.1% compared to 12.3% in Winston-Salem.

Mean Commute Time

Columbus18 min

Winston-SalemN/A

Drive Alone

Columbus70.1%

Winston-Salem73.2%

★

Public Transit

Columbus2.1%

★

Winston-Salem1.2%

Bicycle

Columbus0.4%

★

Winston-Salem0.3%

Work from Home

Columbus16.1%

★

Winston-Salem12.3%

Airports

Columbus0

Winston-Salem0

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Compare Columbus against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

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