Columbus receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Dublin
Columbus
Opportunity
62 · Top 37%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs33 · Bottom 21%
Climate
74 · Top 32%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs85 · Top 42%
Schools
36 · Bottom 31%
vs41 · Bottom 37%
Access
46 · Bottom 3%
vs51 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 2%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Dublin | Columbus | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,136 | 203,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,988 | $58,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,160 | $33,739 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 988/sq mi | 941/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $181,300 | $193,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $847 | $1,106 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.0% | 50.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 4.1% | 1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 30.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 36.3% | 19.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 11 | 265 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -90.8% | -5.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.3" | 48.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 80 mi | 82 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.8 min | 22.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 35.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.91 | 14.37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.7% | 23.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.4% | 31.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 95.3% | 83.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Dublin
Elevated or high exposure: drought, hurricane.
Columbus
Elevated or high exposure: lightning.
Full profiles: Dublin, GA · Columbus, GA · How this is calculated: methodology