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City · 24,488 residents · Platte County, Nebraska

Columbus , Nebraska

In Columbus, a typical home is worth $213,600 and typical rent is $892 a month. Compared with all of Platte County, typical household income is 10% lower and the share of households that own their home is 5 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $213,600

    5% below the county

    10% below Nebraska

    • Columbus
    • Platte
    • Nebraska

  • Typical rent

    $892a month

    About the same as the county

    17% below Nebraska

    • Columbus
    • Platte
    • Nebraska

  • Typical household income

    $64,626a year

    10% below the county

    15% below Nebraska

    • Columbus
    • Platte
    • Nebraska

  • Households that own their home

    66%

    5 points below the county

    About the same as Nebraska

    • Columbus
    • Platte
    • Nebraska

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$269,930
1.8% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,406 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Columbus is in Platte County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Platte County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Columbus apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Schuyler, the typical home value is $145,700: 32% less than in Columbus ($213,600).

  2. 66% of households in Columbus own their home, against 72% in Platte County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Columbus

What homes there are in Columbus, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house is still the most common home in Columbus, but it weighs less than in Platte County: 73% against 77%.

Year built

The typical year built in Columbus is 1972, about the same as in Platte County (1973).

There are fewer big homes in Columbus than in Platte County: 61% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 66%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA loan limit for Platte County is $541,287, and about 97% of owner-occupied homes in Columbus are worth less than that.

Monthly rent with utilities

HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent (FMR) for Platte County is $1,139; about 66% of rents in Columbus are below it.

With a mortgage

$1,563 a month

Platte County: $1,605 a month

Without a mortgage

$599 a month

Platte County: $621 a month

Owners with a mortgage

51%

Platte County: 49%

In Columbus, 51% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,563 a month, about the same as in Platte County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in Platte County, the typical home value in Columbus rose 47% since 2015–2019.

The typical rent in Columbus rose 17% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Platte County (17%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureColumbusPlatte CountyNebraskaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate4.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.6%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate2.1%3.4%
People per household 2.452.512.422.53
Drive alone 80%80%76%69%
Carpool 11%10%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%3%
Walk or bike 3%3%3%3%
Work from home 4%5%11%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Much as in Platte County, a household in Columbus has 2.45 people on average.

In Columbus, 80% of workers drive alone to work; in Platte County, 80%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Columbus?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in Columbus, worth $213,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 34% of the typical household income in Columbus, which is $64,626 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $79,434 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Platte County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Columbus. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,476 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,853

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$209,731
Total interest
$301,754
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,607 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,508 a month

  • Tight

    $1,508 to $1,939 a month

    Your payment · 34%

  • Hard

    more than $1,939 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Columbus ($64,626 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,853
Principal & interest$1,421
Property tax$249
Home insurance$89
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$94

You need at least $7,476 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Columbus and Platte County

Columbus is in Platte County, Nebraska. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Columbus's own numbers

Typical home value
$213,600
Typical monthly rent
$892
Typical yearly household income
$64,626
Households that own their home
66%
Effective property tax rate
1.4%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Platte County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,139
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+48%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
3.3%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Platte County.

Everything about Platte County

Buying

Buying a home in Columbus

A typical home in Columbus is worth $213,600: 5% below the county and 10% below Nebraska. With the typical household income in Columbus ($64,626 a year), a typical home costs 3.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Columbus 3.3 years
  • Platte 3.1 years
  • Nebraska 3.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Platte County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Platte County rose 95% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Platte County.

Period County Nebraska U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.4% +3.3% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +48% +49% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +95% +87% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Columbus next to Platte County, Nebraska and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Columbus $213,600
  • Platte $223,900
  • Nebraska $238,600
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Columbus $892
  • Platte $897
  • Nebraska $1,072
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Columbus $64,626
  • Platte $71,552
  • Nebraska $76,475
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Columbus next to Platte County and Nebraska
Measure Columbus Platte County Nebraska U.S.
Typical home value $213,600 $223,900 $238,600 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $892 $897 $1,072 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $64,626 $71,552 $76,475 $80,734
Households that own their home 66% 72% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,990 $2,885 $3,549 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.4% 1.29% 1.49% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 43% 40% 45% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Platte County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Columbus

For a typical $213,600 home in Columbus, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Columbus's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,853a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,476
    Cash to close
    $13,884
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $94

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,814a month

    Down payment
    $10,680
    Cash to close
    $17,088
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $101

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,496a month

    Down payment
    $42,720
    Cash to close
    $49,128
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,693a month

    Down payment
    $32,040
    Cash to close
    $38,448
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Columbus and for Platte County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Columbus

1.4%of the home’s value each year

$2,990 a year for the typical owner in Columbus.

  • Columbus 1.4%
  • Platte 1.29%
  • Nebraska 1.49%

What Nebraska publishes Homestead exemption for seniors, people with disabilities and veterans (Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division)

Exemptions and deadlines in Nebraska

Flood risk in Platte County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Platte County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
3.3%
548
Of those, with NFIP insurance
6.6%
County Nebraska U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 3.3% 3.5% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 6.6% 15% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Columbus

Typical rent in Columbus is $892 a month: about the same as the county. In Columbus, 43% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Platte County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,139 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $21.90 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Platte County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $825 $15.87 $33,000
1 bedroom $871 $16.75 $34,840
2 bedrooms $1,139 $21.90 $45,560
3 bedrooms $1,491 $28.67 $59,640
4 bedrooms $1,497 $28.79 $59,880

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Columbus

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Columbus is in ZIP code 68601.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,130: $9 less than the fair market rent for Platte County ($1,139).

  • 68601 $1,130$1,480

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Columbus when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Columbus

HUD lists 11 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Columbus. These are the largest.

  • Heritage House 155 South Rd, Columbus 68601 100 homes, 84 low-income · Run by Columbus Housing Authority · Average payment: $446 a month · Average wait: 12 months (402) 564-1131
  • Columbian Village 3717 27th St, Columbus 68601 62 low-income homes · For families (402) 564-4512
  • Columbus Place Apartments 1305 8th St, Columbus 68601 60 low-income homes · For older adults (402) 563-3131
  • Columbus Cherry Creek 103 and 107 27th Street, Columbus 68601 32 low-income homes · 2 bd: 16 · 3 bd: 16 · In service since 2020
  • Arbor Place 3810 25th St, Columbus 68601 24 low-income homes · In service since 2001

See all 11 buildings in Platte County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Columbus

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Platte County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Columbus

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Columbus or Platte County. The ones below are statewide in Nebraska: they work in Columbus the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Nebraska

  • Homebuyer Assistance (HBA) Program

    Statewide in Nebraska

    Nebraska state authority program for first-time buyers: a NIFA mortgage plus a second mortgage of up to 5% of the price at 1%, over 10 years, for the down payment and closing costs. Offered by Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • Welcome Home Assistance (WHA)

    Statewide in Nebraska

    Nebraska state authority option that adds a second loan for the down payment and closing costs to the Welcome Home mortgage, for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before; the page does not state the amount. Offered by Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA).

    Type not stated

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Columbus

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Columbus, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Neighborhoods, Inc. DBA Neighborworks Lincoln

    2530 Q St, Lincoln · 55 miles away

    • Workshops for new owners
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (402) 477-7181

  • Credit Advisors Foundation

    1818 S 72nd St, Omaha · 71 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Korean and other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 9 more
    (402) 514-3340

  • Credit Advisors Foundation

    1818 S 72nd St, Omaha · 71 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Korean and other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 9 more
    (402) 393-3100

All counseling agencies in Nebraska

Help in Spanish near Columbus

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Columbus

HUD’s record names them for Columbus or Platte County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Columbus Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (402) 564-1131

All housing agencies in Nebraska Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Columbus, with the typical home value.

Everything about Platte County Housing in Nebraska

Neighboring counties

If Platte County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Columbus.

All guides
A father and mother walk their son by the hand down the sidewalk.

Questions

Housing questions about Columbus

Short answers with the numbers for Columbus and all of Platte County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Columbus?

The typical home value in Columbus is $213,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Platte County it is $223,900.

How much does it cost to rent in Columbus?

Typical rent in Columbus is $892 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Platte County is $1,139.

What is the FHA loan limit in Columbus?

Columbus uses the FHA limit for all of Platte County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Columbus?

The typical homeowner in Columbus pays $2,990 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.4% of the home’s value; in Platte County, the rate is 1.29%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Columbus?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Platte County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).