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Columbus vs Crawfordsville for Rental Property Investing

Side-by-side comparison of Columbus, IN and Crawfordsville, IN — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.

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Columbus wins 3–0 across key metrics
Columbus leads on cash flow (4.03% vs 3.27% cap rate)
Metric
Columbus, IN
Crawfordsville, IN
Est. Cap Rate
4.03%
3.27%
Median Home Price
$270,000
$215,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,350
$930
1% Rule
0.50%
0.43%
GRM
16.7x
19.3x
Price / Income
4.4x
3.5x
Property Tax Rate
0.84%
0.84%
Vacancy Rate
5.5%
5.5%
Population Growth
0.9% / yr
0.9% / yr
Annual Appreciation
2.6%
2.6%
Population
50,000
50,000
Median Income
$60,888
$60,888

Columbus vs Crawfordsville: Which Is Better for Investors?

Cash flow: Columbus has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.03% compared to Crawfordsville's 3.27%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $270,000 in Columbus vs $215,000 in Crawfordsville, while rents come in at $1,350/mo and $930/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.

Growth & appreciation: Columbus is growing faster at 0.9% annually vs Crawfordsville's 0.9%. Columbus leads on home value appreciation at 2.6% per year.

Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.84% in Columbus vs 0.84% in Crawfordsville. Vacancy rates of 5.5% and 5.5% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.

Entry point: Crawfordsville offers a lower entry at $215K vs Columbus's $270K — a difference of $55K. With a 20% down payment, that's $43K vs $54K. Columbus's higher price may be justified by better market fundamentals.

Bottom line: Columbus edges out Crawfordsville on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.03%, Columbus's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Columbus or Crawfordsville.

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Columbus, IN
4.03% cap rate · $270,000 median · $1,350/mo
Full analysis →
Crawfordsville, IN
3.27% cap rate · $215,000 median · $930/mo
Full analysis →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Columbus or Crawfordsville better for rental investing?
Columbus wins 3–0 across our 7 key metrics (cap rate, 1% rule, GRM, taxes, vacancy, growth, appreciation). Columbus's 4.03% cap rate and $270K median price edge out Crawfordsville's 3.27% at $215K.
What is the cap rate difference between Columbus and Crawfordsville?
Columbus has a 4.03% cap rate vs Crawfordsville's 3.27% — a difference of 0.76 percentage points. This is a relatively small difference — other factors like growth, taxes, and local market conditions may matter more. For context, the national average is 3.81%.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Crawfordsville has lower property taxes at 0.84% vs 0.84%. On a $243K property, that's a difference of approximately $462/year in tax expense — money that goes directly to (or from) your cash flow.
Which city is growing faster?
Columbus is growing at 0.9% annually vs Crawfordsville's 0.9%. Moderate growth provides stable demand. Columbus's appreciation rate of 2.6% also leads on home value growth.

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