Commercial Real Estate Market in Columbus, OH
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
2,079 active listings and 20,657 off-market properties in Columbus, OH. Commercial property asks $102/SF to buy and $21.38/SF/Yr to lease. Office vacancy runs 23.5%, the loosest of the segments tracked here.
Market Trends
Columbus, OH spans 258.5 square miles in Franklin County, Ohio. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office space in Columbus, OH asks $19.31/SF/Yr to lease. Vacancy runs 23.5% in 2025, up from 14.1% in 2019. Down from a 2022 peak of 26.3%.
Average Lease Price $/SF/Yr
Listings
Vacancy Rate %
Retail
Retail vacancy in Columbus, OH runs 4.1% in 2025, down from 5.4% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate %
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Columbus, OH runs 6.1% in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2019. Down from a 2024 peak of 9%.
Vacancy Rate %
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Columbus, OH runs 8% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 6.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 54.3%
- Industrial 23.6%
- Planned_development 9.4%
- Mixed use 2.7%
- Commercial 2.5%
- Civic 2.4%
- Open space 0%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Manufacturing 35 Foot Height District
Suburban Residential 35 Foot Height District
Rural 35 Foot Height District
Residential 35 Foot Height District
Residential 35 Foot Height District
Columbus, OH zones 123,039 acres across 145 districts. Commercial zoning covers 2.5% of zoned land, residential 54.3%, open space 0% and industrial 23.6%. The largest single district is Manufacturing 35 Foot Height District at 10%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 26.2% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Manufacturing 35 Foot Height District (M-H-35)
This district is intended to accommodate wide range of industrial uses
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Columbus, OH has 937,669 residents in 429,662 households. Density runs 3,627 people per square mile. Median household income here is $68,546 and median gross rent $1,213 a month.
937,669
Population
429,662
Households
2.2
Avg Household Size
34
Median Age
41%
College-Educated
90%
High-School Grad
258.5 sq mi
ZIP Area
3,627
Density / Sq Mi
$68,546
Median Household Income
$43,450
Median Earnings
$1,213
Median Rent
$268,021
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Arlington | — | $19.65 |
| Dublin | — | — |
| Westerville | — | $14.94 |
| Lewis Center | — | — |
Commercial property in Columbus, OH asks $102/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Columbus?
Commercial property in Columbus, OH asks an average of $102 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $57/SF, so asking sits 79% above the achieved median.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Columbus?
Asking lease rates in Columbus, OH average $21.38 per square foot per year. Office asks $19.31/SF/Yr as of Q1 26, up from $18.36/SF/Yr in Q4 25.
What is the office vacancy rate in Columbus?
Office vacancy in Columbus, OH is 23.5% as of 2025, up from 14.1% in 2019. Retail vacancy is 4.1%, below Office vacancy.
Which property type has the lowest vacancy in Columbus?
Retail has the lowest vacancy in Columbus, OH at 4.1%, inside a 3.5–5.4% band since 2019. For comparison: office 23.5%, industrial 6.1% and multifamily 8% (Midwest).
What zoning applies to commercial property in Columbus?
Columbus, OH zones 123,039 acres across 145 districts, of which 2.5% is commercial and 23.6% industrial. The largest single district is Manufacturing 35 Foot Height District at 10% of zoned land. This district is intended to accommodate wide range of industrial uses Residential zoning covers 54.3% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Columbus market data come from?
Realmo compiles Columbus, OH figures from 5 recent recorded sales, 1,295 active sale listings, 784 active lease listings, 20,657 tracked off-market properties, the current Columbus zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 1,295 active for-sale and 784 active for-lease listings in Columbus, OH. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 123,039 zoned acres across 145 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- multifamily vacancy is reported at Midwest region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
