Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, home to about 23,348 people across 25 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 39701, 39702 and 39705.
Homes sold for a median of $125 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 2 of 3 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Columbus
Mostly Columbus; also New Hope
Mostly Columbus; also Columbus AFB
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Columbus. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Columbus’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)98 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR)9 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Memphis, TN142 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX482 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Columbus; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Columbus had 24,084 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 18th largest of 420 towns in Mississippi by population.
Lowndes County grew from 29,095 residents in 1900 to 58,879 in 2020.
Lowndes County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 94°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 56.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 0 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbus, MS weather station (4 miles away).
20,572 jobs at 1,440 businesses in Lowndes County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
583 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Columbus’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 47 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 76 |
| Dentists | 35 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 169 |
| Mental health providers | 170 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 66 |
| Optometrists | 14 |
| Chiropractors | 6 |
| Pharmacies | 25 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1821.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Columbus Municipal School District, Lowndes County School District, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 415 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Fairview Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 244 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Franklin AcademyColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 231 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Lowndes County Alternative SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 7.5 mi |
| New Hope ElementaryColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 1,191 | Public | 7.7 mi |
| Sale Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 290 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| Stokes Beard Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–5 | 369 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| West Lowndes ElementaryColumbus | Pre-K–6 | 276 | Public | 7.2 mi |
| Cmsd Alternative SchoolColumbus | K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 2.0 mi |
| Columbus Middle SchoolColumbus | 6–8 | 597 | Public | 5.5 mi |
| New Hope Middle SchoolColumbus | 6–8 | 604 | Public | 7.5 mi |
| West Lowndes High SchoolColumbus | 7–12 | 206 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Columbus High SchoolColumbus | 9–13 | 865 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Lowndes Co Voc ComplexColumbus | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 4.9 mi |
| Mckellar Vocational CenterColumbus | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 3.7 mi |
| New Hope High SchoolColumbus | 9–12 | 787 | Public | 7.5 mi |
| Ms School for Math and ScienceColumbus | 11–12 | 240 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage AcademyColumbus | Pre-K–12 | 456 | Nonsectarian | 3.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with New Hope and Columbus AFB.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.