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Columbus, OH housing market

Columbus, OH metro median sale price $361K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.8% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Columbus, OH metro is $361K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.8% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That change sits near the middle of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro agrees within 1.5 points (up 3.3% through Q2 2026).

Columbus has the highest median sale price of the 12 Ohio metros Pecan Street tracks ($361K), ahead of Cincinnati ($322K). On median days on market, Columbus (48 days) ranks 2nd of the 12 Ohio metros, between Sandusky (60 days) and Youngstown (48 days). On share of listings with a price cut, Columbus (59%) ranks 2nd of the 12 Ohio metros, between Springfield (61%) and Dayton (57%).

Listings spent a median 48 days on market in Sep 2026, fewer than in most of the 385 metros. 59% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 1.2 points lower. That share is the 2nd-highest of the 385 metros. Median asking prices sit about 4% above the median sale price. Building permits authorized 693 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $1,945 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $83K a year. The median sale price equals about 16 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio down 8.5% from a year earlier. Active listings ask a median $205 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 0.2%.

In eight of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; four are higher.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$361K

+1.8% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$1,945/mo

$83K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Columbus compares to other U.S. metros

Price cuts↑2nd of 385 (top 1%)
Days on market↓286th of 385
Asking-vs-sale gap↓196th of 291
Price-to-rent164th of 373 (top 44%)
Home-price growth204th of 383

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 16 -8.5% YoY
164th of 373 (top 44%)
Asking price / sq ft$205 -0.2% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 59% -1.2 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↑2nd of 385 (top 1%)
New housing units permitted693

The median asking price $375K runs about 4% above the median sale price $361K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Sep 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data12 shown of 132
MLS board of recordColumbus REALTORS MLS
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Recent notable readings

Readings from the latest data that sit at one end of the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, from the nightly cross-metro comparison. They are not signal alerts.

Housing Economy

Columbus · ConstructionCOPIED

Columbus builders pulled 5.8% more single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Columbus metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct33044055066077020252026
AprJulOct33044055066077020252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec534393—
Nov438543—
Oct573494—
Sep594376443
Aug518413521
Jul497399749
Jun498490512
May490487477
Apr564535538
Mar543493452
Feb451417387
Jan374406374

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Columbus metro area pulled 5,883 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 5.8% more than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 10.9% above the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Columbus area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Columbus · Home pricesCOPIED

Columbus home prices are 3.3% higher than a year ago, the weakest gain since the first quarter of 2014

Home prices in the Columbus metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

19801990200020102020-7%0%7%14%21%Columbus
19801990200020102020-7%0%7%14%21%Columbus
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateColumbus
Jun 20263.3%
Mar 20263.6%
Dec 20253.8%
Sep 20254.3%
Jun 20254.4%
Mar 20256.9%
Dec 20246.4%
Sep 20245.7%
Jun 20245.8%
Mar 20246.8%
Dec 20237.8%
Sep 20235.7%
Jun 20236.6%
Mar 20238.6%
Dec 202211.5%
Sep 202215.9%
Jun 202220.1%
Mar 202218.6%
Dec 202116.1%
Sep 202116.2%
Jun 202113.1%
Mar 20218.2%
Dec 20207.8%
Sep 20206.3%
Jun 20205.1%
Mar 20206.7%
Dec 20196.2%
Sep 20195.6%
Jun 20195.7%
Mar 20195.8%
Dec 20186.3%
Sep 20186.1%
Jun 20186.8%
Mar 20187.7%
Dec 20176.9%
Sep 20176.7%
Jun 20177.4%
Mar 20175.8%
Dec 20165.8%
Sep 20166.2%
Jun 20165.5%
Mar 20165.5%
Dec 20155.7%
Sep 20155.3%
Jun 20154.1%
Mar 20154.9%
Dec 20144.8%
Sep 20144.8%
Jun 20145.3%
Mar 20142.9%
Dec 20132.1%
Sep 20132.1%
Jun 20132.5%
Mar 20131.2%
Dec 2012-0.3%
Sep 20120.3%
Jun 20120%
Mar 2012-1%
Dec 2011-2.4%
Sep 2011-3.2%
Jun 2011-3.2%
Mar 2011-2.2%
Dec 2010-0.7%
Sep 2010-0.4%
Jun 2010-3.2%
Mar 2010-4.7%
Dec 2009-2.3%
Sep 2009-1.7%
Jun 2009-2%
Mar 2009-1.6%
Dec 2008-2.4%
Sep 2008-2.9%
Jun 2008-1.6%
Mar 2008-0.4%
Dec 2007-1%
Sep 2007-0.9%
Jun 2007-0.4%
Mar 20070%
Dec 20060.3%
Sep 20060.2%
Jun 20061.1%
Mar 20062.4%
Dec 20053.1%
Sep 20054.3%
Jun 20054.8%
Mar 20054.2%
Dec 20044%
Sep 20044.5%
Jun 20043.9%
Mar 20044.1%
Dec 20034.3%
Sep 20033.1%
Jun 20033.4%
Mar 20033.6%
Dec 20023.7%
Sep 20024%
Jun 20023.9%
Mar 20024%
Dec 20014.9%
Sep 20015.3%
Jun 20015.3%
Mar 20015.6%
Dec 20004.9%
Sep 20004.4%
Jun 20003.8%
Mar 20003.4%
Dec 19993.2%
Sep 19993.6%
Jun 19994.4%
Mar 19994.1%
Dec 19984.5%
Sep 19984.4%
Jun 19984.3%
Mar 19984.3%
Dec 19974.2%
Sep 19974.1%
Jun 19973.8%
Mar 19974.2%
Dec 19964%
Sep 19964.3%
Jun 19965.2%
Mar 19966%
Dec 19954.9%
Sep 19955%
Jun 19954.1%
Mar 19954.1%
Dec 19945.3%
Sep 19944.8%
Jun 19945.5%
Mar 19944.5%
Dec 19934%
Sep 19933.8%
Jun 19933.7%
Mar 19933.6%
Dec 19923.7%
Sep 19924.8%
Jun 19923.7%
Mar 19924.6%
Dec 19914.5%
Sep 19912.9%
Jun 19914.3%
Mar 19913.3%
Dec 19903.4%
Sep 19903.6%
Jun 19903.9%
Mar 19904%
Dec 19894.5%
Sep 19894.9%
Jun 19894%
Mar 19895.3%
Dec 19886.1%
Sep 19886.1%
Jun 19887.7%
Mar 19888.3%
Dec 19876.9%
Sep 19877.7%
Jun 19877.5%
Mar 19876%
Dec 19866.5%
Sep 19865.5%
Jun 19865%
Mar 19864.6%
Dec 19854.6%
Sep 19852.3%
Jun 19851.5%
Mar 19853.7%
Dec 19841.6%
Sep 19844%
Jun 19844.2%
Mar 19842.9%
Dec 1983-0.2%
Sep 19831.6%
Jun 19834.8%
Mar 19837.2%
Dec 19826.9%
Sep 19821.6%
Jun 1982-2.5%
Mar 1982-4.4%
Dec 1981-0.5%
Sep 19814.3%
Jun 19819.2%
Mar 19818.1%
Dec 19804.9%
Sep 19807%
Jun 19804.1%
Mar 19806.2%
Dec 197914.3%
Sep 197912.1%
Jun 197910.7%
Mar 197913.4%
Dec 197811.5%
Sep 197810.2%
Jun 197817%
Mar 197813.8%
Dec 19776.3%
Sep 19779.4%
Jun 19772.1%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Columbus metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 3.3% above its level a year earlier. Since 1977, prices have risen an average of 4.6% a year. That is the weakest reading since the first quarter of 2014. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Columbus home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

normal · 1.5pp

Redfin (metro)

+1.8%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+3.3%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for Columbus → Latest dispatch: Jul 10, 2026.

More markets in OH

AkronCantonCincinnatiClevelandDaytonLimaMansfieldSanduskySpringfieldToledoYoungstown

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
43015$487K↑186↑80↓108↑45↑$416K↑
43026$450K↑115↑60↓84↓43↑$377K↑
43055$259K↓130↑60↓60↑55↑$251K↑
43065$590K↑121↑56↑68↓44↓$556K↑
43081$350K↓134↑80104↑41↑$354K↑
43123$387K↓157↓92↓92↓46↑$332K↑
43130$275K↓121↑8072↑39↑$276K↑
43147$485K↑116↑52↓60↑51↑$420K↑
43204$199K↓150↑52↓80↑53↑$196K↓
43206$300K↓147↑32↓80↑63↑$273K↓
43207$225K↓125↓64↑84↓44↓$201K↓
43215$395K↓131↓28↓36↓71↓$331K↓

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.