Return to the Home PageHouseholds in the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) are generally satisfied with the overall quality of their neighborhoods, according to the American Housing Survey in 1987. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), 68.2% of all households rated their neighborhoods an 8, 9 or 10 (best) overall, and only 5.3% rated their neighborhoods a 1, 2 or 3 (worst). For specific sub-populations, however, variation in satisfaction exists. Owners, for example, were generally more satisfied with their neighborhoods than were all householders, and substantially more satisfied than were renters. In 1987 75.9% of owners rated their neighborhoods an 8, 9 or 10 (best), compared to 68.2% of all Columbus MSA households, and only 56.1% of renter households. Similarly, only 2.4% of owners rated their neighborhoods a 1, 2 or 3 (worst), compared to 5.3% for all MSA households and 9.8% for renters. Greater satisfaction with neighborhoods for owners reflects in part the lower incidence of neighborhood problems reported. 41.7% of owners reported a problem in their neighborhood, compared to 49.0% of renters. The problems most frequently reported were other people (15.7% of owners and 21.0% of renters). Renters were more than three times as likely to report crime as a problem than owners (10.8% of renters and 3.5% of owners), and more than twice as likely to report noise as a problem (11.3% and 4.2% respectively).
Columbus MSA Owners Renters
Rating Hsehlds % Hsehlds % Hsehlds %
1 (Worst) 9,800 2.0 3,100 1.0 6,700 3.5
2 5,900 1.2 1,100 0.4 4,800 2.5
3 10,500 2.1 3,100 1.0 7,400 3.8
4 8,000 1.6 2,300 0.8 5,700 3.0
5 41,200 8.3 20,600 6.8 20,500 10.6
6 27,800 5.6 13,300 4.4 14,500 7.5
7 54,400 11.0 29,400 9.7 25,000 13.0
8 108,500 21.9 69,600 23.0 38,900 20.1
9 72,500 14.6 49,300 16.3 23,200 12.0
10 (Best) 156,900 31.7 110,500 36.6 46,400 24.0
Total 495,500 100.0 302,300 100.0 193,100 100.0
Columbus MSA Owners Renters
Problem Hsehlds % Hsehlds % Hsehlds %
None 271,300 54.8 174,100 57.6 97,200 50.3
With Problem 220,800 44.6 126,200 41.7 94,600 49.0
Crime 31,400 6.3 10,500 3.5 20,900 10.8
Noise 34,500 7.0 12,600 4.2 21,900 11.3
Traffic 42,600 8.6 23,400 7.7 19,300 10.0
Litter/Hous'g
Deterioration 31,100 6.3 20,800 6.9 10,200 5.3
Poor Public
Services 11,700 2.4 8,800 2.9 2,900 1.5
Undesirable
Land Uses 11,900 2.4 7,000 2.3 4,900 2.5
People 88,100 17.8 47,600 15.7 40,500 21.0
Other 44,200 8.9 29,800 9.9 14,300 7.4
Not Reported 4,100 0.8 2,800 0.9 1,300 0.7
Note: Totals may not add up to 100% because more than one category may apply to a household.
Source: American Housing Survey for the Columbus MSA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Bureau of the Census
Filename: PS-013