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ABOUT THE COLUMBUS 2025 DASHBOARD
Columbus 2025 tracks key metrics to evaluate our region’s competitiveness while we execute our strategy to increase prosperity, reduce poverty and enhance quality of life for all citizens. Community indicators reported below help to tell the story of the Columbus, GA-AL MSA in key areas such as economic performance, workforce sustainability, business environment, entrepreneurship, and quality of life. Where available, we also compare our data to those of our nine peer cities: Augusta, Chattanooga, Clarksville (TN), Fayetteville (AR and NC), Greenville, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Savannah.
Population grew by 18,363 over the last 5 years and is projected to grow by 41,342 over the next 5 years.
319,643 Population
Jobs grew by 2,573 over the last 5 years and are projected to grow by 6,464 over the next 5 years.
149,242 Jobs
Percent holding a bachelor's degree is 8.4% below the national average
27.6% Bachelor's Degree
Poverty rate is 114% higher than the U.S. level of 9.1%
19.5% Poverty Rate
Population
Talent and education are top drivers for increasing prosperity and reducing poverty. In addition, talent creation and retention are key to our region’s growth. All stakeholders, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations must join together to maximize this opportunity. Our results-oriented approaches will identify, attract, and retain the sustainable workforce necessary to drive our economy into the future.
Population and Jobs Trend & Forecast
Source: Lightcast
The chart above uses data from Lightcast's Population Demographics cohort model, applied to historical data, in order to project forward. Learn more >
How does Columbus stack up?
Population Comparison
| Metro Area | Population (2021) |
|---|---|
| Greenville MSA | 949,248.65 |
| Augusta MSA | 617,505.92 |
| Fayetteville MSA | 572,181.63 |
| Chattanooga MSA | 566,914.62 |
| Huntsville MSA | 520,050.82 |
| Savannah MSA | 418,087.93 |
| Montgomery MSA | 394,411.36 |
| Clarksville MSA | 337,684.76 |
| Columbus MSA | 319,643 |
Source: Census
Employment in Businesses Under 5 Years Old
Georgia
Alabama
Columbus, GA-AL MSA
Source: Census QWI
Jobs
Jobs Trend and Forecast
Jobs Comparison
| MSA Name | 2022 Jobs |
|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | 464,834.91 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 289,232.29 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 288,145.22 |
| Huntsville, AL | 270,498.3 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 225,025.27 |
| Savannah, GA | 210,215.08 |
| Montgomery, AL | 184,522.57 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 153,577.81 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 139,345.55 |
Source: Lightcast
Educational Attainment
Population by Educational Attainment
Source: Census
Job Postings by Educational Attainment
| Education Level | Postings | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| No Education Listed | 2,502 | 46.8% |
| High school or GED | 1,408 | 26.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,112 | 20.8% |
| Associate degree | 561 | 10.5% |
| Master's degree | 251 | 4.7% |
| Ph.D. or professional degree | 141 | 2.6% |
Educational Attainment Comparison
Bachelor's Degree+
| Metro Area | Bachelor's Degree or Higher (2021) |
|---|---|
| Huntsville MSA | 41.11% |
| Fayetteville MSA | 34.15% |
| Savannah MSA | 33.64% |
| Greenville MSA | 32.53% |
| Montgomery MSA | 31.32% |
| Chattanooga MSA | 29.77% |
| Clarksville MSA | 27.81% |
| Augusta MSA | 27.34% |
| Columbus MSA | 27.6% |
Source: Census
Poverty Level
Poverty Level Comparison
| Metro Area | Poverty Rate (2021) |
|---|---|
| Columbus MSA | 19.5% |
| Augusta MSA | 13.3% |
| Chattanooga MSA | 12.7% |
| Clarksville MSA | 14.3% |
| Fayetteville, AR | 12.6% |
| Fayetteville, NC MSA | 17.9% |
| Greenville, SC MSA | 12.5% |
| Huntsville, AL MSA | 12.3% |
| Montgomery, AL MSA | 16.1% |
| Savannah, GA MSA | 12% |
Source: Census
Job Postings Trends
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
Source: Lightcast
Job Postings 30-Day Trend
Source: Lightcast
Job Postings by Industry
| Industry Sector (2-Digit) | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,306 | -1.7% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 817 | -3.8% |
| Retail Trade | 682 | -13.9% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 573 | 5.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 429 | -5.6% |
| Manufacturing | 416 | -11.3% |
| Finance and Insurance | 323 | -24.5% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 154 | -20.8% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 151 | -2.6% |
| Construction | 136 | -3.7% |
| Public Administration | 136 | -19.9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 114 | -21.9% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 106 | -2.8% |
| Educational Services | 103 | -29.1% |
| Information | 78 | -25.6% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 63 | -7.9% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 61 | 14.8% |
| Utilities | 14 | -64.3% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 16.7% |
Source: Lightcast
Targeted Industries
Industry Characteristics
| Industry | 2022 Jobs | 2021 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2022 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2017-2022 % Change in Jobs | 2022 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | 47,447 | $63,461 | 2.22 | 3.77% | 6375.14M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 18,574 | $57,497 | 0.9 | 4.34% | 1305.96M |
| Retail Trade | 16,424 | $32,670 | 0.96 | 0.65% | 953.14M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 14,674 | $22,485 | 1.12 | 0.51% | 612.67M |
| Finance and Insurance | 13,021 | $89,709 | 1.2 | -11.73% | 2378.33M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11,860 | $29,454 | 1.04 | 20.4% | 571.22M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 11,270 | $22,805 | 1.11 | 3.21% | 302.08M |
| Manufacturing | 10,464 | $73,576 | 0.87 | -4.76% | 1903.26M |
| Construction | 7,968 | $51,677 | 0.74 | 15.11% | 552M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,940 | $59,040 | 0.58 | 7.54% | 664.57M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 6,907 | $45,339 | 0.74 | 9.39% | 675.76M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 5,323 | $40,144 | 0.53 | 34.51% | 286.85M |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,851 | $63,901 | 0.49 | 0.08% | 428.17M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2,461 | $21,677 | 0.62 | 6.73% | 89.96M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,290 | $123,256 | 0.88 | 41.72% | 297.04M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,709 | $36,174 | 0.53 | 3.59% | 89.74M |
| Educational Services | 1,643 | $30,389 | 0.39 | -5.07% | 58.92M |
| Information | 1,418 | $52,577 | 0.43 | -16.76% | 293.04M |
| Utilities | 330 | $126,428 | 0.61 | -7.68% | 184.14M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 257 | $68,109 | 0.31 | -5.04% | 50.69M |
Source: Lightcast
Top 20 Companies
| Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Healthcare | 266 | -26.7% |
| Raytheon Technologies | 115 | -1.7% |
| Emory Healthcare | 112 | 6.3% |
| Elevance Health | 102 | -29.4% |
| Kindred Healthcare | 91 | |
| Columbus Consolidated Government | 77 | -19.5% |
| State of Georgia | 60 | -26.7% |
| Pratt & Whitney | 56 | 12.5% |
| Aflac | 43 | -41.9% |
| Walmart | 42 | 0% |
| Dollar General | 41 | -85.4% |
| Columbus State University | 38 | -7.9% |
| Encompass Health | 38 | -123.7% |
| CDM Smith | 36 | -41.7% |
| Dha Group | 33 | 6.1% |
| Vectrus | 33 | 6.1% |
| Columbus Technical College | 31 | -9.7% |
| Global Payments | 29 | -10.3% |
| Total System Services | 29 | 20.7% |
| Piggly Wiggly | 28 | 14.3% |
Source: Lightcast
Targeted Occupations
Occupation Concentration
| Occupation | 2022 Jobs | 2022 Median Salary | 2022 Average Hourly Wage | 2022 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2017-2022 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Related | 19,440 | $29,969 | $26.56 | 0.92 | 1.59% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 18,602 | $34,545 | $18.55 | 0.93 | -1.32% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 13,488 | $32,400 | $22.39 | 0.87 | 17.36% |
| Management | 13,266 | $72,866 | $44.95 | 0.82 | 14.81% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 12,726 | $66,350 | $42.86 | 0.92 | 32.24% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 12,725 | $22,631 | $12.7 | 1.07 | -9.35% |
| Military-only | 12,703 | $34,450 | $20.64 | 14.1 | 17.7% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 9,623 | $65,922 | $41.6 | 1.05 | 7.94% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 8,557 | $48,661 | $24.92 | 0.97 | -12.77% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 8,299 | $45,458 | $23.08 | 1.26 | -2.5% |
| Production | 7,924 | $32,784 | $18.56 | 0.91 | -3.74% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 6,943 | $24,473 | $14.74 | 1.07 | 5.58% |
| Personal Care and Service | 6,736 | $24,399 | $15.47 | 1.11 | -13.98% |
| Construction and Extraction | 6,500 | $38,013 | $21.08 | 0.78 | 5.44% |
| Healthcare Support | 6,197 | $28,369 | $16.04 | 0.84 | 3.9% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 5,015 | $90,899 | $44.5 | 0.98 | 4.12% |
| Protective Service | 4,891 | $39,967 | $20.89 | 1.48 | 0.64% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 3,690 | $41,824 | $29.28 | 0.65 | 3.27% |
| Community and Social Service | 2,576 | $40,637 | $22.52 | 0.92 | 4.32% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 2,035 | $71,422 | $40.53 | 0.8 | 13.33% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 1,209 | $71,263 | $41.62 | 0.72 | 5.05% |
| Legal | 820 | $68,004 | $49.77 | 0.56 | -2.36% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 675 | $29,685 | $19.57 | 0.53 | -16.47% |
Source: Lightcast
Postings vs. Hires by Occupation
Total Postings
Total Hires
Source: Lightcast
Why are these metrics important to our community?
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