1st Advantage MortgageIn Franklin County, Ohio, the typical household earns $75,176 a year and the typical rent is $1,302. A loan makes sense only if its total cost beats your alternatives and the payment fits your budget. Check the lender's Ohio license first.
On this page
- Franklin County at a glance
- What Franklin County households earn
- Employment and commuting in Franklin County
- Renting and owning in Franklin County
- Franklin County and the counties next door
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Franklin County
- Franklin County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Reading the Franklin County data as a borrower
- What a median Franklin County budget can carry
- Ohio rules that apply in Franklin County
- Before you sign
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Franklin County at a glance
Roughly 1,333,048 residents live in Franklin County, Ohio, 1st by population among the state's 88 counties and county equivalents. It covers 532 square miles of land, or about 2,504 people per square mile. It is one of the counties that make up the Columbus, OH metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). The Census Bureau counts 27 places in the county (22 incorporated, 5 census-designated); the largest is Columbus, with about 914,802 residents, or 69% of the county.
What Franklin County households earn
Half of Franklin County households take in less than $75,176 a year and half take in more, 5% above the Ohio median of $71,389.
| Income band | Share in Franklin County | Difference from Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 21.1% | -2.7 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 41.7% | +0.1 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 26.0% | +0.5 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 11.2% | +2.1 pts |
The spread is wide: 37% of Franklin County households make $100,000 or more, and 21% make less than $35,000. Census counts 14.7% of Franklin County residents in poverty, against 13.3% across Ohio. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.469 (0 is perfect equality). For a borrower in Franklin County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
Employment and commuting in Franklin County
Education and health care employs 25% of working residents, the largest share; professional and administrative services is next with 13%. Compared with Ohio, the county leans toward professional and administrative services (13% against 10%). Averaged over the five survey years, 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking. 6% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 19% work from home. Households without a car make up 7.4% of the total (7.5% statewide).
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Franklin County | Gap to Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.2% | +0.9 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 13.0% | +2.7 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 9.2% | +2.7 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.7% | +0.4 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 7.9% | +1.9 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Renting and owning in Franklin County
A typical Franklin County rental runs $1,302 a month including utilities, which is 26% above Ohio. By the Census definition, 46% of Franklin County renters are cost-burdened. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $288,400, about 3.8 times the median household income. 53% of Franklin County households own their home and 47% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1979.
| Franklin County | Ohio | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,302/mo | $1,034/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $288,400 | $214,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 53% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 46% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 22% | 21% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 1.0% | 3.4% | n/a |
For the many renters in Franklin County, deposits, moving costs and card balances are typical reasons to borrow. Keep the amount small and the term short.
Franklin County and the counties next door
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (21 to 29 miles). 5 of the six report a higher median household income than Franklin County; Delaware County is highest at $133,540 and Pickaway County lowest at $74,040.
| County | Distance | Median income | Median rent | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | - | $75,176 | $1,302/mo | 53% |
| Delaware County, OH | 21 mi | $133,540 | $1,492/mo | 79% |
| Madison County, OH | 21 mi | $87,045 | $943/mo | 78% |
| Pickaway County, OH | 22 mi | $74,040 | $1,020/mo | 74% |
| Fairfield County, OH | 25 mi | $90,966 | $1,172/mo | 75% |
| Licking County, OH | 29 mi | $84,426 | $1,078/mo | 74% |
| Union County, OH | 29 mi | $112,322 | $1,247/mo | 79% |
Cities, towns and CDPs in Franklin County
The table lists the 14 largest of 27 Census places in Franklin County, by population. Together all 27 hold about 1,310,058 people, so roughly 2% of residents live outside any named place. New Albany has the highest median household income on the list ($238,250) and Urbancrest the lowest ($41,875), counting places with at least 500 residents. Median rent ranges from $879 in Urbancrest to $2,355 in New Albany. One of them, Columbus, has a separate city guide (linked); for the rest, this is the local guide.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | city | 914,802 | $66,082 | $1,295 | 2 mi |
| Dublin | city | 49,294 | $160,296 | $1,686 | 12 mi |
| Grove City | city | 42,517 | $93,161 | $1,331 | 7 mi |
| Reynoldsburg | city | 41,224 | $72,972 | $1,259 | 12 mi |
| Westerville | city | 38,645 | $109,404 | $1,364 | 12 mi |
| Hilliard | city | 38,033 | $128,189 | $1,632 | 9 mi |
| Upper Arlington | city | 36,293 | $155,167 | $1,588 | 5 mi |
| Gahanna | city | 35,486 | $109,061 | $1,466 | 8 mi |
| Whitehall | city | 20,019 | $51,759 | $1,145 | 7 mi |
| Worthington | city | 14,938 | $127,382 | $1,232 | 9 mi |
| Bexley | city | 13,114 | $157,841 | $1,268 | 4 mi |
| New Albany | city | 10,896 | $238,250 | $2,355 | 15 mi |
| Lincoln Village | CDP | 8,928 | $53,797 | $1,043 | 7 mi |
| Grandview Heights | city | 8,647 | $117,672 | $1,750 | 2 mi |
Franklin County residents: age, schooling, coverage
College graduates make up 42% of the adult population. The uninsured rate is 8.8%, against 6.4% for Ohio.
| People and households | Franklin County | Ohio | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.8 | 39.7 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 42.1% | 31.5% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.8% | 8.2% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 8.8% | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 7.4% | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 19.3% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Franklin County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 25.9% |
| 15 to 29 min | 51.2% |
| 30 to 44 min | 17.1% |
| 45 to 59 min | 2.8% |
| 60+ min | 3.1% |
Reading the Franklin County data as a borrower
A few patterns in the Franklin County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Tight rental budgets. With 46% of Franklin County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Getting ready. Gather pay stubs or benefit letters before you apply (checklist).
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Franklin County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
What a median Franklin County budget can carry
How much room does a median Franklin County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- Monthly gross at the median, Franklin County: $6,265
- Housing at the median rent of $1,302 uses 21%
- Under a 40% cap, $2,506 total minus rent leaves $1,204
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Franklin County's.
Ohio rules that apply in Franklin County
No county office licenses personal lenders. For Franklin County, check the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. Statewide data and rules: Ohio guide.
Before you sign
A short checklist for Franklin County borrowers:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Ohio.
- Never pay a fee up front to get a loan.
Nearby and statewide guides
City guides inside Franklin County, and the statewide guide:
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Franklin County?
$75,176 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $71,389 for Ohio. It ranks 23rd of 88 in the state.
How does Franklin County rent compare with Ohio?
$1,302 locally versus $1,034 for the state, 26% above.
Which towns does the Franklin County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 27 Census places: Columbus, Dublin, Grove City, Reynoldsburg, Westerville.
Will a Franklin County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Ohio as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.
Is there a Franklin County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In Ohio it is the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions.