Reasons to Live and Do Business in Columbus, Ohio

There are many great reasons to live in Columbus, Ohio. If you're looking for jobs or to do business, Columbus has the resources and strong economy to support business growth.

According to the U.S. census, population in the Columbus region has grown by 532,000 people (42 percent) during the last 29 years - to 1.8 million in 2009. Since 1980, Columbus has grown 18 percent faster than the national average and six times faster than the state of Ohio.

Columbus is large, safe, and affordable, and it offers excellent child care, public and private schools, colleges and universities. Our region is continually recognized for its strengths and resources, and as being a great place to live, work, and play.

Read some of our accolades below. But don't stop there. You can also share your reason to live in Columbus, Ohio by participating in the Columbus Chamber's Tell Your Story program.

What Others are Saying about the Columbus Region

Columbus Ranks as #9 Best City for New College Grads
Bloomberg Business Week, August 2010

Columbus #32 for Export Economy
Brookings Institution, July 2010

Columbus A Top Shopping Destination
Apartment Therapy, July 2010

#16 Gay City in America
UCLA Williams Institute, July 2010

Columbus 8th Best City for Volunteering
VolunteeringinAmerica.gov, June 2010

Columbus Metropolitan Library Named Library of the Year
Library Journal, June 2010

Columbus #13 Arts Destination
American Style Magazine, May 2010

Ohio Named one of Top 10 States for Entrepreneurship
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, May 2010

Columbus Named a Logistics Hotspot
InBound Logistics Magazine, May 2010

Ohio Fares Well in Tech Job Rankings
Cyberstates 2010, May 2010 (via Columbus Dispatch)

Ranking: Columbus Among Top 10 Big Cities
RelocateAmerica, April 2010

Forbes Says Columbus Among Best Places for Business and Careers
Forbes, April 2010

Columbus: A Top City for Biking
Bicycling Magazine, March 2010

Columbus Rates as a Place for Young Adults - One of Top 2 Cities in Midwest
Portfolio.com/Bizjournals, March 2010

Marysville - One of Best Affordable Suburbs in America 2010
Bloomberg Business News, March 2010

Ohio - 2009 Governor's Cup Award Winner
Fourth consecutive Governor’s Cup and fifth in seven years
Site Selection Magazine, March 2010

Columbus - #18 on List of America's Most Wired Cities
Forbes, March 2010

Delaware County - #2 in "Best Places to Get Ahead"
Forbes, February 2010

Columbus - #6 Best Housing Market in America
Forbes, February 2010

Columbus-based OhioHealth #46 in Top 100 Places to Work
FORTUNE Magazine, January 2010

#18 City for Artists & Designers"
ArtBistro, January 2010

Dublin, Ohio One of Top Seven International Intelligent Communities
Intelligent Community Forum, January 2010

#18 Top City for Finding an Entry Level Job
Monster.com, October 2009

#15 Most Sustainable Big City
CityGrid

#14 Metro Most Amenable to Child Care
Exchange

A top "City of the Future" for international investment
fDi Magazine

One of the top 200 Best Places for Business and Careers
Forbes

A top 50 hottest city for expansion and relocation
Expansion Management Magazine

7th Best metro-area for Business
MarketWatch

Among the most diverse and Top 10 Best Places for Gays and Lesbians to Live in America
Advocate Magazine, March, 2007

"...Franklin County is one of the top large counties for recruiting and attracting new business..."
Expansion Management

"Nine public high schools ranked in the top 5% nationally."
NewsWeek

#1 among the Top 10 Up-and-Coming Tech Cities
Forbes, March 2008

7th strongest economy in the nation..."
POLICOM, August 2006

8th best big city on Money Magazine's 2006 Best Places to Live list..."
Money Magazine, 2006

A top hottest city for expansion and relocation
Expansion Management Magazine, 2006

#9 among the Most Affordable Places to Live Well
Forbes, November 2007

Fourth-safest city for businesses in the United States
Risk & Insurance Magazine

"...The state of Ohio ranked number one in the nation for the number of attractive micropolitans for capital investment..."