Jun 4, 2025 - News
It's cheaper to rent than buy in Columbus — and it's not even close
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It's much cheaper to rent than buy a home Columbus — and these days, the comparison isn't even close.
Driving the news: Rents have tapered nationwide due to an influx of newly built apartments hitting the market. But home-buying costs continue to spike.
Follow the money: Columbus-area buyers have to earn almost $38,000 more a year than renters to afford their monthly housing payments, according to a recent Redfin report.
- That gap has ballooned significantly post-pandemic — it was about $10,000 in 2020.
The fine print: Redfin's analysis is based on median home prices and rents and assumes a homebuyer or renter spends no more than 30% of their income on monthly payments.