The typical Columbus household earns $58,073 a year, about $19,300 less than the typical Georgia household and $22,700 less than the national median.

That's the latest figure from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which asks people in every part of the country what they earned over the past year. But "typical" hides a huge gap inside Columbus, Ga. In Midland's 31820 ZIP code, the median household earns $114,468. On the south side of town, in the 31903 ZIP code, it's $32,401. That's a gap of more than $82,000, and the Midland figure is about 3½ times higher.

Here's what households earn in every Columbus and Phenix City ZIP code, how Columbus compares with Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, and what that income actually covers.

Median household income in every Columbus ZIP code

Figures are 2020–2024 averages. Area names are general; ZIP code lines don't follow neighborhood lines exactly. The Fortson and Midland ZIP codes include some homes in Harris County.

What stands out:

• Only two Columbus ZIP codes have a median above $100,000: Midland (31820) and Fortson (31808). In both, more than half of households earn $100,000 or more.
• North Columbus (31909) and north-central Columbus (31904) are the only other Columbus ZIP codes above the citywide median.
• 31907 is the biggest ZIP code by far, with more than 23,000 households, nearly 3 in 10 in the city. Its median, $54,453, is a little below the citywide figure.
• In 31903, more than a third of residents live below the poverty line (35.4%), and about 1 in 20 households (5.4%) earns $100,000 or more.

Phenix City and Smiths Station

The city of Phenix City's median, $50,053, is about $8,000 lower than Columbus's. But Smiths Station's 36877 ZIP code, at $78,103, out-earns every Columbus ZIP code except Midland, Fortson and Fort Benning.

How Columbus compares

Columbus earns about what Georgia's other midsize cities do: a little more than Savannah, Augusta and Macon, and well behind Atlanta. The typical Atlanta household earns about $27,600 more than the typical Columbus household.

How the surrounding counties compare

Harris County is the region's high earner. Its median household income, $97,302, is about $39,000 higher than Columbus's and higher than Georgia's and the nation's. The Fortson and Midland ZIP codes, which top the Columbus list, reach into Harris County.

Lee County, Ala., home to Auburn and Opelika, out-earns Columbus by about $7,800. Chattahoochee County, Ga., which includes much of Fort Benning, also comes in a little above Columbus. Russell County, Ala., including Phenix City, and rural Talbot and Marion counties come in below.

The full picture: how many Columbus households earn what

The median is the middle. Here's how Columbus's 81,415 households spread out:

About 1 in 5 Columbus households earns less than $25,000 a year, roughly 17,700 households. That's a bigger share than in Georgia or the country.

About 1 in 4 earns $100,000 or more, roughly 20,800 households, compared with about 2 in 5 statewide.

And about 1 in 15 earns $200,000 or more, about half the state and national share.

Other ways to measure income

Why are there two "median" numbers? The Census Bureau counts a "household" as everyone living in a home, including people who live alone or with roommates. A "family" is two or more people related by birth, marriage or adoption. Families tend to have more earners, so the typical Columbus family earns $73,498, about $15,400 more than the typical household.

Income by age

Columbus households peak in their late 40s to early 60s, like everywhere else. What's different is the size of the gap with the rest of Georgia: Columbus households under 25 earn about the same as young households statewide, but by middle age, the typical Columbus household earns about $25,000 less than its Georgia counterpart.

Income by race and ethnicity

The typical Black household in Columbus earns $46,108, about 61 cents for every dollar earned by the typical white, non-Hispanic household in the city ($75,503). Statewide, that figure is about 68 cents, and nationally, about 63 cents.

The typical Hispanic household in Columbus earns $67,844, close to the Georgia and national medians for Hispanic households.

What does $58,073 cover in Columbus?

The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates what it costs to cover basic needs in Muscogee County, such as housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and taxes, with nothing left for savings, eating out or vacations. Here's how much a household needs to earn before taxes, according to its February 2026 update:

What it means: A single adult earning the Columbus median would clear the basic-needs bar by about $15,000. But a family of four with two working parents needs about $94,000 just to cover the basics, more than the Columbus family median of $73,498.

On housing: A common rule says rent shouldn't take more than 30% of your income. The median gross rent in Columbus, including utilities, is $1,106 a month, according to the Census Bureau. To keep that under 30%, a household would need about $44,200 a year. In 31903, where the median household earns $32,401, the typical household can afford about $810 a month by that rule.

How to read these numbers

• These are five-year averages. The Census Bureau surveys a sample of households each year and combines five years of answers (2020 through 2024) so it can report on small areas like ZIP codes. The figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars.
• Small areas have bigger margins of error. The Census Bureau's margin of error for Uptown's 31901 is about plus or minus $12,800, because few households live there. For big ZIP codes like 31907, it's about plus or minus $3,000.
• Fort Benning's numbers are unusual. The 31905 ZIP code counts about 15,000 people but only 2,880 households, because many soldiers live in barracks, which the Census Bureau counts as group quarters, not households.

Where to find help

• Free tax filing: The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally earn $69,000 or less. Search for a site at irs.gov/vita.
• Benefits you might be missing: Check Georgia's benefits portal at gateway.ga.gov for SNAP, Medicaid and child care help. See also our story on 7 Georgia benefits many eligible residents may be missing.
• Unclaimed money: Georgia is holding millions of dollars owed to Columbus residents. Our guide shows how to check your name in two minutes.

Where does your ZIP code land? Tell us in the comments whether the number matches what you see in your neighborhood.