What's so great about Columbus? Read on....

Money magazine has dubbed Columbus the "Eighth Best City to Live." The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that Columbus has the "Top 10 Shortest Commute Time[s] Among Major Cities in the Country" and Forbes classifies Columbus as the "Eleventh Best City for Singles."

Located within 600 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population, Columbus has recently emerged as a major Midwestern crossroads, receiving national acclaim for the quality of life it provides its residents.

History
Established at the fork of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, Columbus was founded in 1812 --nine years after Ohio became a state. By the 1830s, Columbus became a stop on a major water transportation system stretching from the Ohio River to the Erie Canal. Railroads and telegraph lines were put in place during the 1840s and 1850s. During the 1860s, Columbus became the location for a Civil War site -- Camp Chase. A training, parole and prisoner-of-war camp, Camp Chase marked its legacy with a cemetery that's still located on the West Side of Columbus to this day.

By the turn of the 20th century, Columbus's population was growing as much as its reputation. The founding of Ohio State University and Capital University branded Columbus as an educated metropolis, something that still rings true today.

Real Estate
Columbus has undergone incredible growth over the past few decades. In fact, Delaware County (just north of Columbus) is the 13th fastest-growing county in the United States. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) states that Columbus's median house price is 31 percent less than the national average and Conway Data ranks Columbus as among the top 10 lowest-cost real estate markets in the country.

Despite the downswing of national housing markets, Columbus appears to be one of the less affected areas. The PMI Group categorizes Columbus as one of the more stable major housing markets in the United States.

Business
If you haven't heard, 15 Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in Columbus. Among these internationally recognized corporations are: Bank One, Cardinal Health, Limited Brands, Nationwide, Wendy's and Worthington Industries. Other Columbus-based companies worth noting for their forward-thinking approach to science and engineering are Battelle, Chemical Abstracts Service and Edison Welding Institute. Columbus is also the home of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). This internationally operating library system has more than 60,000 client libraries in 112 countries. It complements research-driven institutions such as Ohio State University and other centers of learning in the area. With this much information at our fingertips, it's no surprise Columbus is seen as such an academically well-versed city.

Future
Columbus is rumored to be looking into multimodal transportation systems. James Beasley, director of the Ohio Department of Transportation, is hoping to effectively use railways and waterways for the transport of goods and people. As Columbus continues to grow, it will be important to constantly search for innovative ways to improve the transportation system, making it efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Plan to see growth in the following years.

For more information on what makes Columbus great, contact your us today.
Dana M. Garrett 937-645-6545 Dana.Garrett@RealLiving.com
Nanie Ingram 937-645-6542 Nanie.Ingram@RealLiving.com

Harley E. Rouda Jr.
CEO of Real Living
One of the nation's fastest-growing real estate companies.

From This Week Community Newspapers