Population
Mobile
185,097
Columbus
204,383
Median Income
Mobile
$51,090
Columbus
$56,622
Home Value
Mobile
$170,300
Columbus
$182,300
Rent
Mobile
$1,029
Columbus
$1,072
Crime Rate
Mobile
7.52
Columbus
6.08
Cost of Living
Mobile
89.4
Columbus
96.1
Avg Temp
Mobile
N/A
Columbus
N/A
Unemployment
Mobile
6.0%
Columbus
6.5%
How Similar Are Mobile & Columbus?
Columbus is Mobile's #1 most similar city
7 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Mobile
185,097
Columbus
204,383
Both cities have similar populations — Mobile at 185,097 and Columbus at 204,383.
Violent Crime
Mobile
7.52
Columbus
6.08
Mobile has a 19% higher violent crime than Columbus.
Property Crime
Mobile
16.74
Columbus
22.36
Columbus has a 25% higher property crime than Mobile.
Political Leaning
Mobile
57.7%
Columbus
38.0%
Mobile leans Republican while Columbus leans Democratic.
Unemployment
Mobile
6.0%
Columbus
6.5%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.
Median Income
Mobile
$51,090
Columbus
$56,622
Both cities have similar median income — just a 10% difference.
Home Values
Mobile
$170,300
Columbus
$182,300
Both cities have similar home values — just a 7% difference.
Education
Mobile
21.5%
Columbus
19.6%
Both cities have similar education — just a 9% difference.
Demographics
Mobile
39.9%
Columbus
39.3%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 2% difference.
Cost of Living
Mobile
89.4
Columbus
96.1
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.
7 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Mobile and Columbus are remarkably similar cities.
At a Glance
0
Mobile
0
Columbus
Cost of Living & Affordability — Mobile leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDMobile scores 78.1 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 86.6 in Columbus. Mobile scores 97.7 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 105.7 in Columbus. Mobile scores 89.4 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 96.1 in Columbus.
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
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMobile has a median property tax of $924 vs $1,526 in Columbus (39% lower). Columbus has a vacancy rate of 11.7% compared to 14.5% in Mobile. Columbus has a median home value of $182,300 vs $170,300 in Mobile (7% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSColumbus has a work from home of 9.3% compared to 8.1% in Mobile. Columbus has a median household income of $56,622 vs $51,090 in Mobile (10% higher). Mobile has a unemployment rate of 6.0% compared to 6.5% in Columbus.
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 UCRMobile has a violent crime clearance of 66.7% compared to 37.9% in Columbus. Columbus has a assault rate (per 1k) of 5.15 compared to 6.57 in Mobile. Mobile has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 11.89 compared to 16.36 in Columbus.
Violent 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 — Mobile leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMobile has a high school diploma or higher of 41.8% compared to 37.3% in Columbus. Mobile has a bachelor's degree or higher of 21.5% compared to 19.6% in Columbus.
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 ACSColumbus has a population of 204,383, about 1.1x the size of Mobile (185,097). Columbus skews younger with a median age of 35.1 vs 37.7.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Mobile
Columbus
Healthcare — Columbus leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareColumbus: 3.0 vs Mobile: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Columbus leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSColumbus has a bicycle of 0.3% compared to 0.1% in Mobile. Columbus has a public transit of 0.8% compared to 0.7% in Mobile. Columbus has a work from home of 9.3% compared to 8.1% in Mobile.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Mobile, AL
Compare Mobile 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.