Cost of Living in Columbus
Columbus's cost of living runs genuinely affordable on housing, offset by a real, current county-wide property reassessment raising tax bills.
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Learn moreGenuinely affordable housing
Columbus's typical home value ran approximately $127,552 per Zillow (up 10.2% YoY) -- well below both the Mississippi statewide average (~$172,654) and the national median.
A real, current property tax reassessment
Lowndes County's reassessment raised home values by an average of approximately 18%, with a cited example tax bill rising roughly 21% -- a real, near-term cost pressure to plan around.
Mississippi's real, favorable statewide tax structure
Mississippi's 2026 flat income tax rate runs 4% above a $10,000 single/$20,000 MFJ exemption threshold, with Social Security and qualified retirement income fully exempt statewide.
Key takeaways
- Columbus's housing costs run genuinely below Mississippi and national averages.
- A real, current county reassessment is raising property tax bills by roughly 21% on example homes.
- Mississippi's 4% flat income tax and full retirement-income exemption apply statewide.
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