Albany vs Columbus
Albany, Georgia versus Columbus, Georgia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Albany and Columbus score about the same overall (43 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Albany | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $44k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $47k |
| Home Value | $111k | $168k |
| Monthly Rent | $889 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.50% | 0.88% |
| Income Tax | 5.50% | 5.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.38% | 7.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.74% | 10.65% |
| Unemployment | 10.3% | 7.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.6 in | 51.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 262 days |
| Summer Humidity | 72°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 86 days | 91 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 52.7 | 19.3 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 55 AQI |
| School Quality | 58.0 | 48.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1576/100k | 1344/100k |
| Property Crime | 1054/100k | 2358/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 68,926 | 204,572 |
| Median Age | 34.7 | 34.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.39 | 0.61 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.85 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+40 | D+24 |
| White (%) | 19.0% | 38.4% |
| Black (%) | 75.1% | 45.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.5% | 8.0% |
| Asian (%) | 0.6% | 2.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.7% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 20 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 10.6/20 | 5.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 144 mi | 84 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 78.0% | 85.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 14.36 | 3.57 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Albany or Columbus more affordable?
- Albany has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Albany's $45k and Columbus's $47k. Median rent is $889 in Albany versus $1k in Columbus.
- Is Albany or Columbus safer?
- Columbus has the lower violent crime rate. Albany reports 1576/100k and Columbus reports 1344/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Albany or Columbus?
- The median home value is $111k in Albany and $168k in Columbus, so homes are more affordable in Albany.