Columbus officials react to city’s low ranking for renters in recent survey

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - WalletHub, a personal finance website, ranks Columbus as one of the worst places to rent.

The site compared 182 cities across the country, including 150 of the most populated U.S. cities.

The survey also looked at two of the most populated cities in each state across two key dimensions, rental market and affordability and quality of life.

Columbus City Councilor Charmaine Crabb says she disagrees with the findings.

“A lot of it has nothing to do with rental property. It has more to do with the livability of the city, and as a city counselor as well as a property manager, I think the city has done a lot to improve the quality of life here,” said Crabb.

After the 2020 Census, Columbus is ranked as the second largest city in Georgia.

Officials say the city is a nice place to live and rent.

In a recent article by Southern Living, the Fountain City ranked 10th as one of the best riverfront places to retire.

“There’s a lot of options of rent here. We have private. We have single-family residences. We have duplexes. We have quadplexes. We have apartment complexes. We have a wide variety. We have lots. We have a wide variety of potential rentals here,” said Crabb.

A realtor for Keller-Williams Realty, Marika Bell, says Columbus is a prime location to rent.

“Yeah, the military base, I mean it’s close to Florida, you know Atlanta Tennessee also space do you get in a couple of hours so if you don’t want to live in the city, I think Columbus is the perfect place to live that you travel close to other city,” said Bell.

With Columbus only about 90 minutes from Atlanta with a low cost of living and excellent healthcare, officials say Columbus is a true under-the-radar gem.

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