States › Nebraska › Columbus

Is Columbus, NE expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 17 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$97045% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$69,699about $5,808/month · 20% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$213,60036% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 89% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.1 years of household income. Commutes are short, about 15.1 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $38,800 a year. That is $19 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Nebraska cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Nebraska. It is number 8 of 34 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Columbus
$970
Hastings
$1,030
Papillion
$1,990
Norfolk
$1,105
North Platte
$1,265
Fremont
$1,517
Kearney
$1,096

How much do households earn in Columbus?

Under $25k
15.8%
$25k–50k
27.9%
$50k–100k
34.7%
$100k–150k
15.4%
$150k+
3.8%

Share of households by yearly income. 19.1% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Columbus

SizeColumbusU.S. average
1 bedroom$748$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,022$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,304$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,240$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Columbus overall?

Everyday prices in Nebraska overall are 10% below the U.S. average (index 90.1, U.S. = 100).

Housing
75
Goods (food, clothes…)
94
Utilities
76
Other services
93
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Columbus, so the Nebraska figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Columbus

🏛️ Property tax$2,990a year · 1.40% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$150a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Columbus

Commute to work15.1 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree21.8%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home66.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line11.3%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Columbus?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $512 a month less.

Renting
$970
Owning
$1,482

Owning assumes a typical $213,600 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $21,360 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Columbus, NE?

Renting in Columbus costs a median of about $970 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Nebraska median is $1,096.

How much do I need to make to live in Columbus?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $38,800 a year, or $19 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Columbus cheap or expensive?

Columbus is rated Cheap: rent takes 16.7% of the typical household income of $69,699. It ranks 8th cheapest of 34 Nebraska cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Columbus?

The median homeowner in Columbus pays $2,990 a year in property taxes, about 1.40% of the median home value.

Is Columbus more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Nebraska are 10% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Columbus?

The median home value in Columbus is $213,600, about 3.1 times the typical yearly household income.

24,488 people live in Columbus. Numbers are typical (middle) values.