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Buying a home in Columbus, Ohio

In Columbus, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $299,100, Franklin County's effective property tax rate is 1.47%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $5,495 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,295 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2025 1-year, Census Vintage 2024, FHFA HPI 2026Q2, Census ACS 2020-2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Checked on against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

Columbus home costs, fact by fact

Calculate for Columbus

If you buy

Ohio state transfer tax

Conveyance fee (collected by the county auditor): Franklin County: $3 per $1,000 of price, of which $1 is the mandatory statewide rate set by state law and $2 is the county's own rate, both paid into the county general fund; $1 per $1,000 if the seller receives the homestead exemption. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$299,100
State transfer tax$299.10
Share of the price0.1% of the price
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the Columbus median value of owner-occupied homes, $299,100 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Mandatory statewide rate only: round the sale amount up to the nearest $100, then $1 per $1,000 ($0.10 per $100). Franklin County adds $2 per $1,000 set by the county commissioners (waived if the grantor has the homestead exemption), a $3 minimum conveyance fee and a $0.50 transfer tax on every non-exempt transfer. Plus, in Franklin County, which includes Columbus, $2 per $1,000 set by the county commissioners (waived if the seller has the homestead exemption) and a $0.50 transfer tax (Franklin County Auditor). Who pays: The sources do not say who must pay; the contract controls. The reduced homestead rate refers to the grantor (seller), which points to the seller as the party charged. Not included: other county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Ohio transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

Local taxes in Franklin County, on top of the amount above at $299,100: $598. Rates, who pays and sources: transfer tax in Franklin County.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Ohio state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Columbus is $299,100, according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey. For the 2025 tax year, the Franklin County Auditor’s rate report gives an effective residential rate of 49.775275 mills for the City of Columbus in the Columbus City School District, which comes to about 1.74% of a home’s appraised value before credits and exemptions.

How much homes cost in Columbus

The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) asks owners how much they think their home would sell for. The median of those answers is a useful benchmark, but it is not a sale price: it covers every owner-occupied home, including homes bought long ago. Our page on Ohio home prices explains the method in detail.

AreaMedian value, 2025 (ACS)Margin of error (90%)
City of Columbus$299,100±$6,058
Franklin County$331,000±$5,017
Columbus, OH metro area$347,600±$4,720
Ohio$254,100±$1,892
United States$371,100±$646

*Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates 2025, table B25077.

Are Columbus prices rising?

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) tracks repeat sales of the same single-family homes. Its purchase-only, seasonally adjusted index for the Columbus, OH metro area, published August 25, 2026, shows:

Area1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
Columbus, OH metro area+3.7%+38.8%
Ohio+4.4%+41.9%
United States+2.1%+33.4%

Source: FHFA House Price Index, quarterly purchase-only files. Changes calculated by Payotte from the published index values.

Prices in the Columbus area rose faster than the national index over both periods.

Closing costs at the median price

On top of the price, buyers and sellers pay closing costs: lender fees, the appraisal, the survey, escrow and recording fees, and title insurance. Several of these depend on the loan and on the providers you choose, so there is no single official figure. For the rules, who usually pays each item and a worked example, see our guide to closing costs in Ohio and our page on transfer tax in Ohio.

Property tax in Columbus

The Franklin County Auditor says Ohio property owners pay real estate tax on 35% of the property’s appraised value, and that a full reappraisal of the county takes place every six years, with an update in the third year. The most recent full reappraisal was in 2023, the 2026 update is a triennial one, and the next full reappraisal is scheduled for 2030.

The Auditor’s report for tax year 2025 (bills payable in 2026) lists the following for the City of Columbus taxing district (Columbus City School District):

Taxing authorityResidential effective rate (mills)
Columbus City School District32.069845
City of Columbus3.140000
”Col. & Franklin C” levies (name abbreviated in the report)2.489640
”Columbus State” bond levy (name as shown in the report)0.320000
Franklin County11.755790
Total49.775275

Source: Franklin County Auditor, Composite Reduction Factor Report, tax year 2025, taxing district 010 (City of Columbus). The report’s voted rates total 115.89 mills before the reduction factors; the effective rate is what applies to residential property. Your address may fall in another taxing district, such as a different school district.

One mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.

A worked example

Take a home appraised at the Columbus median value, $299,100:

  • Taxable value: $299,100 × 35% = $104,685.
  • Tax before credits and exemptions: $104,685 × 49.775275 ÷ 1,000 = about $5,211 a year, or about $434 a month.

This is an illustration, not a quote: the Auditor’s appraisal of a home differs from the Census median, and credits and exemptions reduce the bill. Our Ohio property tax guide explains them and how to contest a value. To see how property tax can be paid through your monthly mortgage payment, read our guide to escrow accounts.

Help for first-time buyers in Columbus

  • City of Columbus. The Department of Development’s Division of Housing runs the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) for down payment and closing cost assistance. According to the city’s lender agreement, households at or below 80% of area median income qualify for the federally funded assistance and those at or below 120% for the city-funded assistance, and a participating lender applies for you. Ask the city for the current amount.
  • Franklin County. The county’s down payment program covers homes in Franklin County outside the Columbus city limits; the contact is Homeport.
  • State. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s limits for Franklin County, effective July 1, 2026, are $133,800 (target areas) and $111,500 (non-target areas) for one or two people.

Details are in our guide to Ohio first-time buyer programs.

Ohio guides for Columbus buyers

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in Columbus, Ohio?

The Census Bureau’s 2025 American Community Survey puts the median value of owner-occupied homes in the city of Columbus at $299,100 (±$6,058). This is what owners think their home is worth, not the median sale price of recent sales.

Are home prices in Columbus going up?

According to the FHFA purchase-only index, prices in the Columbus metro area rose 3.7% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Over five years, they rose 38.8%.

What is the property tax rate in Columbus?

For tax year 2025, the Franklin County Auditor’s report gives an effective residential rate of 49.775275 mills for the City of Columbus taxing district in the Columbus City School District. Applied to 35% of appraised value, that is about 1.74% of appraised value before credits and exemptions.

How much property tax would I pay on a median-priced home in Columbus?

On an appraised value of $299,100, the 2025 effective rate gives about $5,211 a year before credits and exemptions. Your actual bill depends on your Auditor’s appraisal, your taxing district and any credits or exemptions.

Is there down payment help in Columbus?

Yes. The City of Columbus offers ADDI assistance through participating lenders, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency offers 3% or 3.5% of the price as down payment assistance. See our first-time buyer page for the conditions.

More Ohio guides

Sources

Questions about buying a home in Columbus

How much is property tax in Columbus?

Homeowners in Franklin County pay a median $4,244 a year in property tax, 1.47% of the county median home value of $288,400 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Columbus?

Home-purchase mortgages in Franklin County carried median total loan costs of $5,495 in 2025; half of the 11,472 loans fell between $4,047 and $8,977 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Columbus?

Ohio does not call it a transfer tax; counties collect a conveyance fee when a deed is presented to the auditor. Franklin County's calculator shows $3 per $1,000 of the price, made of $1 set by the State of Ohio and $2 set by the county commissioners, plus a $0.50 transfer tax.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Columbus ($252,900) equals 16.3 years of the median gross rent ($1,295 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Professionals by sector of Columbus

Who licenses each trade in Ohio

Other large cities: see cities in Ohio.

Data sources for the figures above

Ohio · All states · Federal guides