Columbus market pulse
Real public data for Columbus's ZIP codes, updated as the agencies publish.
Metro prices
+3.6%
in 1 year · Columbus metro · 2025 Q2–2026 Q2
Past change, not a forecast.
Data table
| Quarter | Index | Change since 2025 Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q2 | 419.0 | — |
| 2025 Q3 | 419.8 | +0.2% |
| 2025 Q4 | 410.9 | -1.9% |
| 2026 Q1 | 420.6 | +0.4% |
| 2026 Q2 | 434.2 | +3.6% |
Each index has its own base, so compare its changes, not its level.
Details
FHFA's purchase-only index for Columbus, OH: repeat sales of the same houses, from mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased or securitized. It isn't seasonally adjusted, so each span starts in the quarter it ends.
+38%
in 5 years · Columbus metro · 2021 Q2–2026 Q2
Past change, not a forecast.
Data table
| Quarter | Index | Change since 2021 Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Q2 | 314.6 | — |
| 2021 Q3 | 322.1 | +2.4% |
| 2021 Q4 | 325.3 | +3.4% |
| 2022 Q1 | 347.0 | +10% |
| 2022 Q2 | 364.9 | +16% |
| 2022 Q3 | 359.5 | +14% |
| 2022 Q4 | 354.8 | +13% |
| 2023 Q1 | 361.4 | +15% |
| 2023 Q2 | 378.7 | +20% |
| 2023 Q3 | 382.5 | +22% |
| 2023 Q4 | 383.2 | +22% |
| 2024 Q1 | 385.0 | +22% |
| 2024 Q2 | 399.2 | +27% |
| 2024 Q3 | 406.5 | +29% |
| 2024 Q4 | 406.5 | +29% |
| 2025 Q1 | 407.9 | +30% |
| 2025 Q2 | 419.0 | +33% |
| 2025 Q3 | 419.8 | +33% |
| 2025 Q4 | 410.9 | +31% |
| 2026 Q1 | 420.6 | +34% |
| 2026 Q2 | 434.2 | +38% |
Each index has its own base, so compare its changes, not its level.
Details
FHFA's purchase-only index for Columbus, OH: repeat sales of the same houses, from mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased or securitized. It isn't seasonally adjusted, so each span starts in the quarter it ends.
+115%
in 10 years · Columbus metro · 2016 Q2–2026 Q2
Past change, not a forecast.
Data table
| Quarter | Index | Change since 2016 Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Q2 | 201.8 | — |
| 2016 Q3 | 208.4 | +3.3% |
| 2016 Q4 | 206.0 | +2.1% |
| 2017 Q1 | 207.2 | +2.7% |
| 2017 Q2 | 219.2 | +8.6% |
| 2017 Q3 | 223.3 | +11% |
| 2017 Q4 | 222.5 | +10% |
| 2018 Q1 | 225.1 | +12% |
| 2018 Q2 | 236.5 | +17% |
| 2018 Q3 | 237.7 | +18% |
| 2018 Q4 | 236.8 | +17% |
| 2019 Q1 | 239.3 | +19% |
| 2019 Q2 | 252.6 | +25% |
| 2019 Q3 | 252.0 | +25% |
| 2019 Q4 | 252.9 | +25% |
| 2020 Q1 | 260.8 | +29% |
| 2020 Q2 | 272.0 | +35% |
| 2020 Q3 | 278.9 | +38% |
| 2020 Q4 | 285.2 | +41% |
| 2021 Q1 | 296.4 | +47% |
| 2021 Q2 | 314.6 | +56% |
| 2021 Q3 | 322.1 | +60% |
| 2021 Q4 | 325.3 | +61% |
| 2022 Q1 | 347.0 | +72% |
| 2022 Q2 | 364.9 | +81% |
| 2022 Q3 | 359.5 | +78% |
| 2022 Q4 | 354.8 | +76% |
| 2023 Q1 | 361.4 | +79% |
| 2023 Q2 | 378.7 | +88% |
| 2023 Q3 | 382.5 | +90% |
| 2023 Q4 | 383.2 | +90% |
| 2024 Q1 | 385.0 | +91% |
| 2024 Q2 | 399.2 | +98% |
| 2024 Q3 | 406.5 | +101% |
| 2024 Q4 | 406.5 | +101% |
| 2025 Q1 | 407.9 | +102% |
| 2025 Q2 | 419.0 | +108% |
| 2025 Q3 | 419.8 | +108% |
| 2025 Q4 | 410.9 | +104% |
| 2026 Q1 | 420.6 | +108% |
| 2026 Q2 | 434.2 | +115% |
Each index has its own base, so compare its changes, not its level.
Details
FHFA's purchase-only index for Columbus, OH: repeat sales of the same houses, from mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased or securitized. It isn't seasonally adjusted, so each span starts in the quarter it ends.
ZIP by ZIP
+116%
The median ZIP's house price index, 2015–2025. 31 ZIPs, from +36% to +244%.
One-year ZIP changes are noisy: of last year's top-3 ZIPs in our 50 cities, 1 in 15 was top 3 again. Past change, not a forecast.
About these figures
FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. 33 of Columbus's 36 ZIPs have an index; FHFA publishes one only where enough sales exist. A ZIP whose index stops before the latest year shows the year it ends instead of changes. Each index has its own base, so compare a ZIP's changes, not its level.
Rent or buy here
EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $1,494 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$302
a month more to own a typical sample home than HUD's rent for its size, ZIP 43205
- Own: 3-bedroom sample house, $279,900Sample: fictional home, for the demo.
- EstimateMonthly housing payment (est.): 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments of $1,494 · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down.7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)$1,942 a monthNot included: upkeep, utilities, flood insurance, special assessments.
- Rent: HUD fair market rent, 3 bedrooms
- $1,640 a monthHUD Small Area Fair Market Rent, FY2027: a 40th-percentile rent for a standard home, utilities included. Not an asking rent.
Lending
6.625%
Median rate, 30-year fixed conventional · 4,154 loans · 2025
2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in Columbus's census tracts: 6,375 loans. Loans that closed, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.
- Middle half of rates
- 6.375% to 6.875%
- Loan costs at closing
- $4,804 medianMiddle half $3,807 to $7,018: origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 4,693 loans
- Loan limits, 2026
- $832,750 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $591,100 (one-unit home, Franklin County). Limits set by FHFA and HUD.
More lending figures
- Borrowed, every loan on the home combined
- 95% of the value (median)Middle half 80% to 97%. 69.3% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 55.8% more than 90%, 37.8% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value counts every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans, financed FHA or VA fees) against the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 6,169 loans
- Loan types
- Conventional 75.5% · FHA 19.1%VA 5.5% · USDA 0%
- Discount points
- 51.5% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $2,162. Points buy a lower rate.
For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.
Flood and insurance
$1,272 a year
Median of 33 Columbus ZIPs' average homeowners premiums, 2022. Premiums have risen since; get quotes for your address.
- Federal flood insurance
- 1,082 policies in force · 418 claims since 2000FEMA National Flood Insurance Program, summed over 36 ZIPs (policies in force Jun 30, 2026; claims since 2000). Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Policies insurers didn't renew
- 1.2% in the median ZIPU.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office, 2022.
Most homeowners policies exclude flood, so flood insurance is a separate policy. Source: FEMA FloodSmart: What is my flood risk?, retrieved 2026-10-09 (opens in a new tab) Check an address on FEMA's flood map (opens in a new tab)
County hazard ratings (FEMA)
Natural hazards, compared with other U.S. counties
- Franklin County, OH: expected yearly losses rated relatively high for inland flooding, heat wave, tornado, winter weather, hail.
Other ratings for Franklin County, OH
- EarthquakeRelatively Moderate
- WildfireVery Low
- HurricaneVery Low
- Delaware County, OH: expected yearly losses rated relatively high for winter weather, hail.
Other ratings for Delaware County, OH
- EarthquakeRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- HurricaneVery Low
- Inland floodingRelatively Moderate
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
- Fairfield County, OH: expected yearly losses rated relatively high for winter weather.
Other ratings for Fairfield County, OH
- EarthquakeRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- HurricaneVery Low
- Inland floodingRelatively Moderate
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
- HailRelatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025): expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture; FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments aren't included. This describes each county, not one home. Check an address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk flood zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance.
What's new in Columbus
Rail openings, zoning changes and big projects from primary sources, newest first. News, not a price forecast.
- Zoning change
Columbus adopts residential-district ADU reform
Ordinance 2526-2025 allows ADUs in residential and apartment residential districts. Zoning clearance, dimensional rules and historic review still apply.
Columbus Ordinance 2526-2025, ADUs in residential districts (opens in a new tab) - Zoning change
Zone In corridor zoning is adopted
Council adopted the first phase of its zoning modernization, adding mixed-use housing opportunities on mapped corridors. Future phases are not treated as already adopted.
Columbus City Council, Zone In next steps (opens in a new tab)
Rules in Ohio
From state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Research, not legal advice.
- ClosingRule
- A title company runs the closing and holds the money.
- Seller's disclosureRule
- Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form You may cancel within 3 business days in some cases: Late disclosure or amendment: written rescission within 3 BUSINESS days after receipt, but no later than the earlier of 30 days after offer acceptance or closing. Missing disclosure permits rescission only within that same outer limit; statutory waiver possible..
- Closing taxesRule
- Ohio state conveyance fee: 0.1% of the price · seller paysFranklin County conveyance fee: 0.2% of the price · seller pays
How buying works in Ohio
- Who runs the closing
- A title company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 35 days.
- The contract
- Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.
Details
Columbus REALTORS / Columbus Bar Association Residential Real Estate Purchase Contract
- Buyer agreement
- Ohio written buyer representation agreement and agency disclosure, signed before touring.
Details
Homiy's prototype requires a written agreement before a represented tour. NAR's rule binds participating MLS brokers; do not describe it as a universal state law. Compensation is negotiable and total brokerage pay cannot exceed the agreement.
Source: NAR: written buyer agreements before touring (MLS participation rule, not a universal state statute) (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- Inspection
- About 10 days for inspections.
Details
Use the locally chosen contract's inspection notice and remedy periods. 10 calendar days is a negotiable sample planning period, not a statutory deadline.
- Earnest money
- 1–3% of the price, due within 3 days, held by: Named title/escrow company or broker trust.
Details
Sample only: delivery within 3 calendar days and 1–3% earnest money; the signed contract controls. Buyer delivery is distinct from the holder's statutory deposit deadline.
- Seller's disclosure
- Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form You may cancel within 3 business days in some cases: Late disclosure or amendment: written rescission within 3 BUSINESS days after receipt, but no later than the earlier of 30 days after offer acceptance or closing. Missing disclosure permits rescission only within that same outer limit; statutory waiver possible..
Details
Covered 1–4-unit residential transfers; exemptions in §5302.30(B). No general three-day purchase cooling-off rule where timely disclosure was given.
Source: Ohio Revised Code §5302.30: seller disclosure and rescission (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- Loan and appraisal
- Loan contingency: 21 days (set in the contract).
Details
21-day financing period and the typical closing time are sample planning assumptions, not measured averages or legal rights. Financing and appraisal protection require the signed form/addenda; an appraisal shortfall is not automatically protected.
- Title insurance
- The seller customarily pays for the owner's policy.
Details
Payer is a negotiable local custom, not a mandatory charge; obtain a title quote and follow the signed allocation. Filed insurer/rating-bureau rates are not a state-promulgated price. Central Ohio/Columbus custom is seller-paid owner coverage; Northeast Ohio's common split should not be imported into this market.
- Property tax for a new owner
- Your property tax follows the county's assessed market value. About 1.6% of the price a year is our planning figure for Columbus; your bill can differ.
Details
Ohio taxes 35% of appraised value using district-specific effective (HB920-reduced) millage, not gross voted millage. Applicable nonbusiness/owner-occupancy credits reduce the bill; transfer is evidence of value, not automatic removal of the district reduction factors.
Franklin Auditor2025-for-2026 district010: Class1 effective49.775275 mills ×35% assessment ×(1−0.07645 nonbusiness credit−0.019112 owner-occupancy credit) ÷10 =1.575653% of appraisal. Assumes qualifying owner-occupied residential credits; other Columbus districts differ. Gross voted115.89 mills would overstate tax. Reappraisal/deductions can change a buyer's bill; not an ACS existing-owner median. HOA range and lender-title percentage are SAMPLE inputs.
- Agent credits to the buyer
- Ohio allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.
Details
Disclose transaction inducements in the contract under §4735.18(A)(14); unlicensed commission sharing is restricted. Consumer rebate versus payment for services is fact-sensitive (including Ohio case law); written broker/counsel and lender approval required, not guaranteed cash back.
Source: Ohio Revised Code §4735.18(A)(14): written disclosure of inducements (reviewed 2026-09-27)
Closing taxes
| Tax | Customarily paid by | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio state conveyance fee | Seller | 0.1% of the priceOhio Revised Code §319.54: state conveyance fee |
| Franklin County conveyance fee | Seller | 0.2% of the priceFranklin County Auditor: state/county conveyance-fee calculator |
Sources (9)
- Ohio Revised Code §5302.30: seller disclosure and rescission · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Revised Code §4735.18(A)(14): written disclosure of inducements · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Revised Code §319.54: state conveyance fee · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Real Title: Central Ohio owner-policy payer (custom, not law) · 2020-01-20; reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA 2026 county conforming limits, one unit · 2026 calendar year (opens in a new tab)
- NAIC homeowners report: selected HO-3 $300k–399,999 and HO-6 facts · 2023 data; published July 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Census CHARS: contractor-built house contract price per square foot, excluding land · 2025 annual regional averages (opens in a new tab)
- Franklin County Auditor: state/county conveyance-fee calculator · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Franklin Auditor district010 effective mills and credit factors · tax2025 payable2026; row010 (opens in a new tab)
Programs and deadlines
Official pages for Columbus, the same for every buyer. Each program decides who qualifies.
- Down-payment help
- OHFA Down Payment Assistance (opens in a new tab) (Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA))3% of the price with a conventional loan or 3.5% with an FHA, VA or USDA loan, for the down payment or closing costs; forgiven after seven years.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.Ohio's housing finance agency runs it; the program decides who qualifies and for how much.
- Down-payment help in Columbus
- We found no city or county down-payment program for Columbus. Where we looked: City of Columbus and Franklin County government sites and web searches; the Franklin County down-payment program's guidelines appear only on a nonprofit administrator's site.Checked 2026-09-28.
- Homestead exemption
- Tax Reduction Programs (opens in a new tab) (Franklin County Auditor's Office)The owner-occupancy credit (formerly the 2.5% rollback) reduces taxes on a home you own and live in as of January 1 of the tax year, on levies passed in or before November 2013 (Form DTE 105C).Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
- If you disagree with your assessment
- Filing Instructions (opens in a new tab) (Franklin County Auditor's Office (Board of Revision))Value complaints go to the Franklin County Board of Revision; e-filing is fastest, or submit the form by mail, email or fax.When: the 2026 season runs August 25, 2026 to March 31, 2027Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
- After you buy: alerts on your deed
- Property Alert (opens in a new tab) (Franklin County Recorder)Automatically searches documents filed at the Franklin County Recorder's Office under your name, to help detect possible fraud affecting your property.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
Sample homes in Columbus, each with its estimated monthly cost and the things to check. Found one somewhere else? Check it here.
Sources (29)
- FHFA House Price Index, five-digit ZIP codes, annual (developmental, all-transactions) · 2000–2025 (updated 2026-03-31) (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, not seasonally adjusted, quarterly: Columbus, OH (metro area 18140) · 2000 Q1–2026 Q2 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (ZCTA), with 90% margins of error: population, median household income, median home value, median gross rent, median real estate taxes paid, median monthly owner costs with a mortgage, owner-occupied share and units, owner homes in buildings with 5+ units, median year built · ACS 2020–2024 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (ZCTA): population and its margin of error, for the 5-year change and its significance test · ACS 2015–2019 (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA House Price Index, five-digit ZIP codes, annual (developmental, all-transactions) · 2025 (updated 2026-03-31) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file, 2025 Gazetteer and cartographic boundaries (city ZIPs, centers, bounds) · 2020 ZCTAs; 2025 place boundaries (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025 (metropolitan and micropolitan areas) · July 2020 → July 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: new privately-owned housing units authorized, by CBSA · Sep 2025–Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county · NRI December 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Area Fair Market Rents by ZIP code, FY2027 · FY2027 (from Oct 1, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA API: NFIP Redacted Policies, version 3 (policies in force). This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). · in force Jun 30, 2026; data refreshed 2026-07-27; accessed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA API: NFIP Redacted Claims, version 3 (claims since 2000). This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). · data refreshed 2026-08-04; accessed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Treasury, Federal Insurance Office: Analyses of U.S. Homeowners Insurance Markets, 2018–2022, Supporting Underlying Metrics by ZIP code (premiums per policy, nonrenewal rate) · 2018–2022 (published January 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, not seasonally adjusted: Columbus, OH (metro area 18140) · 2026 Q2 (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA House Price Index, all-transactions, not seasonally adjusted: Columbus, OH (metro area 18140), calendar-year averages of the quarterly index · 2020–2025 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, total nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted (series SMU39181400000000001) · Aug 2026 (preliminary) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the city of Columbus, OH (Census place 3918000): median home value, median household income, median gross rent, with 90% margins of error · ACS 2020–2024 (opens in a new tab)
- FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: 2025 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (data as of June 1, 2026), via the CFPB HMDA Data Browser; Homiy's calculations · 2025 loans; retrieved 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FHA forward mortgage limits, one-unit limit for Franklin County, OH · CY2026 (Mortgagee Letter 2025-23) (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Revised Code §5302.30: seller disclosure and rescission · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Revised Code §4735.18(A)(14): written disclosure of inducements · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Revised Code §319.54: state conveyance fee · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Ohio Real Title: Central Ohio owner-policy payer (custom, not law) · 2020-01-20; reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- FHFA 2026 county conforming limits, one unit · 2026 calendar year (opens in a new tab)
- NAIC homeowners report: selected HO-3 $300k–399,999 and HO-6 facts · 2023 data; published July 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Census CHARS: contractor-built house contract price per square foot, excluding land · 2025 annual regional averages (opens in a new tab)
- Franklin County Auditor: state/county conveyance-fee calculator · reviewed 2026-09-27 (opens in a new tab)
- Franklin Auditor district010 effective mills and credit factors · tax2025 payable2026; row010 (opens in a new tab)
- Freddie Mac average (Primary Mortgage Market Survey) · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)