2,047 Apartments for rent in Columbus, OH
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There's a road outside Columbus, Ohio feels like I drove along for years. This midwest way of ease, it surrounds us. I can't deny the rhythm here, and as I pull away from riverside beside me, that high street never looked so good." (O.A.R. - "Road Outside Columbus").
Who likes Trivia? Name the capital of Ohio, the largest city in Ohio, and the Spanish explorer that discovered Cuba in 1492
There's a road outside Columbus, Ohio feels like I drove along for years. This midwest way of ease, it surrounds us. I can't deny the rhythm here, and as I pull away from riverside beside me, that high street never looked so good." (O.A.R. - "Road Outside Columbus").
Who likes Trivia? Name the capital of Ohio, the largest city in Ohio, and the Spanish explorer that discovered Cuba in 1492. Columbus, Columbus, Columbus! But who ever talks about Christopher Columbus anymore? Around here, it’s all about OSU football. You had better start sporting Buckeye colors before rolling into this town.
Buckeye Rush The best time to find a Columbus apartment? May. As OSU students migrate, graduate, and move on, the trendiest, least expensive, and most convenient apartments will become available. Be sure to snatch them up before summer ends and the Buckeyes rush back into town for a new semester.
Pets Columbus apartment complexes favor cats over dogs. Unfortunately for the canine compassionate, having a dog will drastically limit your apartment options in most urban areas. Also, be prepared to pay pet rent on top of an often non-refundable pet deposit.
The Lease Most apartments require an initial 12-month lease. However, this is balanced with relatively low and refundable deposits... a luxury that many cities don't enjoy.
Whether you're an east coast urbanite or a product of cow-town upbringing, Columbus, Ohio might be a bit of a culture shock. But never fear, I've put together a simple city guide right here:
Downtown: Where the tall buildings live. It's the heart, the epicenter, the big shebang of Columbus. Here you will find an incredibly diverse selection of employers, plenty of great happy hour spots, various festivals and events, incredibly overpriced eats, and swanky city living rentals.
Arena District: Where the football fans live. Come here to watch local games in the Nationwide Arena, or head over to one of the many sports bars to cheer on your favorite team in a lively atmosphere of plasma TV's, quality brews, and raving-mad Buckeye fans. Modern apartments overlook downtown, located just one mile away, offering great skyline views and a myriad of businesses and nightlife within walking and biking distance.
Short North: Where the fabulous live. This district is known for its art galleries, murals, gay bars and quirky cafes. While it caters to the gay community, Short North also attracts a bohemian vibe, with plenty of eccentric street performers, artists, and offbeat events. It hosts the monthly Gallery Hop and the annual Doo Dah Parade, a parody of the traditional American 4th of July parade. Apartment life in this artsy area is the “bee’s knees”… knee deep in character and creativity. Apartments range from modern flats to village-style townhomes.
South: Where the Germans live. Historically, this area was heavily populated by German immigrants. Today, it is still best-known for the German Village Oktoberfest: a salute to beer, bratwurst, and sauerkraut. Residents enjoy a close proximity to downtown, though; there’re plenty of unique shops, eateries, art galleries and cultural character in their own neck of the woods. German village architecture can be seen in both the houses and apartments around here, giving the area a sort of Pleasantville vibe.
University: Where the tow trucks live. These law-abiding carjackers stalk the streets around OSU, especially during football season, and will pounce on your beloved vehicle the first chance they get. For this reason, be sure to snag an apartment with sufficient parking. Tow trucks aside, this area offers a great life for the fast-paced: there’s tailgating, frat parties, shopping and dining, lots of bars, an incredible underground music scene, and the bastion of arts and culture known as the Wexner Center. Also known as the "student ghetto", the affordability of this area makes for a shady, punk vibe that rubs many people the wrong way... but isn't that the point of punk?
Northwest: Where the quiet live. Looking to retreat into peaceful-open-space-suburbia-land? Head northwest into the neighborhoods of Grandview Heights, Upper Arlington, Dublin, and Hillard: All of the neigborhoods are a bit pricey.
Northeast: Where the nostalgic live. Is old town scenery what you're looking for? This area is made up of unique American architecture that spans various styles and historic eras. New Albany, Gahanna, and the wonderful Westerville neighborhoods are all popular locations for home seekers.
Get a car. If you are moving from a place like New York, then public transportation here will seem like a cruel joke. If you are moving from a sprawling city like Los Angeles or San Antonio, then it might not seem too bad. Either way, life will be easier with your own ride.... especially in winter, when cold weather can make even the most convenient neighborhoods a harsh place to walk, bike, or wait for a bus.
Become a Buckeyes fan. The easiest way to make friends in Columbus: Just put on the OSU colors (which are gray and scarlet, not red) and scream "O.H." You will hear an "I.O." echoing back at you with instant, effortless comradery. And, should you dare support an out-of-state team at the local sports bars, you’d better keep your voice down and have an escape plan.
Count Your Vices. Cigarette smoking laws are very strict in Columbus, the bars close at 2 a.m., and you can only buy beer from 1 p.m. to midnight on Sundays. For those not used to having the government regulate their bad habits, this surprise can be both shocking and annoying.
Scrape the surface. Many people move here from big, big cities, drive down High Street, drink at Oktoberfest, and then claim that there's nothing else to do. Despite all the live music, festivals, and football games, they say, "Columbus sucks." Columbus residents say, "Columbus sucks because you suck." This affectionate phrase is now the title of an underground flyer/event calendar that comes out once a month. If you're into radical art shows, offensive comedy, noisy hardcore punk, ambient, drone, tribal and grind music, then this flyer is for you!
That about wraps it up. The most difficult step of any journey is the first, and with just one step at a time is the arduous journey completed. Now go forth, just as Christopher Columbus did, for you have some serious exploring to do.
Welcome to the January 2022 Columbus Rent Report. Columbus rents declined over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Columbus rental market, including comparisons to similar cities nationwide.
Columbus rents have declined 0.8% over the past month, but have increased sharply by 10.8% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Columbus stand at $936 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,139 for a two-bedroom. This is the second straight month that the city has seen rent decreases after an increase in October. Columbus' year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 11.1%, as well as the national average of 17.0%.
As rents have increased sharply in Columbus, a few similar cities nationwide have seen rents grow more modestly. Columbus is still more affordable than most comparable cities across the country.
For more information check out our national report. You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S.
Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.
Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post about the methodology on our blog.
Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.
Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.
Read more about our methodology.
Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.
We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.
Welcome to the January 2022 Columbus Rent Report. Columbus rents declined over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Columbus rental market, including comparisons to similar cities nationwide.
Welcome to the January 2022 Columbus Rent Report. Columbus rents declined over the past month. In this report, we'll evaluate trends in the Columbus rental market, including comparisons to similar cities nationwide.
Columbus rents have declined 0.8% over the past month, but have increased sharply by 10.8% in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, median rents in Columbus stand at $936 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,139 for a two-bedroom. This is the second straight month that the city has seen rent decreases after an increase in October. Columbus' year-over-year rent growth lags the state average of 11.1%, as well as the national average of 17.0%.
As rents have increased sharply in Columbus, a few similar cities nationwide have seen rents grow more modestly. Columbus is still more affordable than most comparable cities across the country.
For more information check out our national report. You can also access our full data for cities and counties across the U.S.
Data from private listing sites, including our own, tends to skew toward luxury apartments, which introduces sample bias when estimates are calculated directly from these listings. To address these limitations, we’ve recently made major updates to our methodology, which we believe have greatly improved the accuracy and reliability of our estimates.
Read more about our new methodology below, or see a more detailed post about the methodology on our blog.
Apartment List is committed to making our rent estimates the best and most accurate available. To do this, we start with reliable median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, then extrapolate them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from our listing data. In doing so, we use a same-unit analysis similar to Case-Shiller’s approach, comparing only units that are available across both time periods to provide an accurate picture of rent growth in cities across the country.
Our approach corrects for the sample bias inherent in other private sources, producing results that are much closer to statistics published by the Census Bureau and HUD. Our methodology also allows us to construct a picture of rent growth over an extended period of time, with estimates that are updated each month.
Read more about our methodology.
Apartment List publishes monthly reports on rental trends for hundreds of cities across the U.S. We intend these reports to be a source of reliable information that help renters and policymakers make sound decisions, and we invest significant time and effort in gathering and analyzing rent data. Our work is covered regularly by journalists across the country.
We are continuously working to improve our methodology and data, with the goal of providing renters with the information that they need to make the best decisions.
Here’s how Columbus ranks on:
Apartment List has released Columbus’ results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters nationwide, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the country’s 111 million renters.
"Columbus renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "They gave most categories above-average scores."
Key Findings in Columbus include the following:
Renters say:
"It’s a great city with big city entertainment and small city safety and traffic." -Anon.
"I love how many things there are to do, but the cost of living is high." -Julie H.
"There’s always something to do and nothing is too far away. Great communities with friendly people." -Karl D.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at [email protected].
Apartment List has released Columbus’ results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters nationwide, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the country’s 111 million renters.
"Columbus renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment L...
Here’s how Columbus ranks on:
Apartment List has released Columbus’ results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters nationwide, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the country’s 111 million renters.
"Columbus renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "They gave most categories above-average scores."
Key Findings in Columbus include the following:
Renters say:
"It’s a great city with big city entertainment and small city safety and traffic." -Anon.
"I love how many things there are to do, but the cost of living is high." -Julie H.
"There’s always something to do and nothing is too far away. Great communities with friendly people." -Karl D.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at [email protected].
The title of the state capital isn’t all that Columbus, Ohio has going for it. The city is a sports lover’s haven (Go Buckeyes!), home to wonderful parks, boasts a ton of history and offers many different employment opportunities for careers across multiple industries.
If moving to Columbus sounds like a dream come true, don’t let your bank account snap you back to reality. Finding an apartment that you can afford in the city starts with understanding the cost of living in Columbus and how to build a budget.
This guide will help you with both!
Here’s everything you need to know about the cost of living in Columbus and how to determine how much you can afford to pay in rent each month. Let’s get started!
Considering a move to Columbus? Before you start apartment hunting, learn about the local rental market. Make sure you know the average rent in Columbus to get your budget started!