Columbus Becomes Second Biggest City in the Midwest

Columbus is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with when it comes to population growth. According to the United States Census Bureau, Columbus just surpassed Indianapolis as the 14th largest city in the U.S. and is officially the second-largest city in the Midwest.

Since the 2010 census, Columbus (city limits only) has grown 9.3 percent, from 787,033 residents in 2010 to 860,090 in 2016. That’s a gain of more than 73,000 people in that time span. Between 2011 and 2016, private employment in Ohio increased by 450,000 jobs, far outperforming the regional average of 261,000 jobs.

Economic experts say the high cost of living is one major factor driving residents out of large cities such as Chicago, New York and San Francisco and into cities like Columbus that offer affordability, job availability, diversity and a competitive economic and business climate.

Inc.com just recently named Columbus one of the six best cities to start a business right now thanks to affordable office space, in comparison to Chicago and New York City, and the city’s collaborative environment for startups and entrepreneurs.

Overtaking Indianapolis in population size is a major coup for Columbus. Now Ohio’s capital city needs to gain only 10,000 residents to overtake San Francisco. It’s on!