Columbus: the only midwestern metro where millennial renters are still the majority

The evidence that Columbus powerbrokers, developers and sold-out office holders such as Mayor Ginther are determined to force Columbus young adults into tiny, overpriced apartments so to maximize profits has been supported and corroborated once again.

According to RentCafe, Columbus is the “only Midwestern metro where Millennial renters are still the majority. Every other large Midwest city including Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Milwaukee has already crossed over to a homeowner majority.” 

RentCafe is an online platform that streamlines the entire rental process. 

“Across the U.S., Millennials have gone from renters to owners at a remarkable pace – only 5 metros had a Millennial homeowner majority in 2018; by 2023, that number had climbed to 82. Columbus isn’t one of them,” stated a RentCafe press release. 

The Free Press believes Columbus’s ultra-rich and the local developer class and their bought-off politicians are deliberately and callously pigeonholing young people into renting their housing far too long than what is normal or expected.

It could be argued office holders have even passed legislation to further this agenda with the launch of “Zone In.” Making serious changes to local zoning laws, Zone In promises to builder taller density throughout Columbus and you can bet the house almost all of it will be rentals. 

Jordan McLaughlin, who’s leading the grassroots effort Evict Private Equity Columbus, also supports the argument that encouraging young people into owner-occupancy housing is the last thing developers want. 

“The long-term goal is a permanent renting class. That seems to be the goal for these development firms, and the mayor and some City councilmembers take money from them,” he said, adding Mayor Ginther already has received $250,000 from developers just this year. 

McLaughlin also scoffs at the argument that housing prices have become high in the Columbus metro area “because everyone is trying to move here” and thus due to demand. 

“In Toledo, their population is declining. Yet their housing prices have increased 35 percent. That doesn’t make any sense. Because their inventory should be getting bigger so that should be bringing prices down, but that’s not what’s happening in Toledo,” he said. 

To be clear, Columbus ranks 19th nationwide for the highest share of Millennial renters, at 52.2 percent – the lone Midwestern outlier on a list otherwise dominated by coastal cities, stated the RentCafe press release. In Los Angeles, the percentage of Millennial renters is 70 percent.

Some good news is how Millennial homeownership in the Columbus metro area grew 66.7 percent from 2018 to 2023, but below the national average of 74 percent. There are 127,520 Millennial-owned homes and 139,252 where this generation is renting — a gap of fewer than 12,000 households. 

Nationally, 5.3 million Millennials became homeowners in just five years, states RentCafe, adding, “Columbus is part of that wave, but renter demand has kept pace: Millennial renter households here grew 9.3 percent over the same period.” 

Mayor Ginther and City Council have said they want developers to build 200,000 additional housing units over the next ten years to meet the city’s growing population demand, and as we mentioned, you can bet the house most will be rentals. And by the way, developers will be incentivized with some of the nation’s most generous tax-free property abatements and Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs). 

“They’re getting tax breaks and everything to build these apartments and then they get a continual income stream from them because they own them forever,” says McLaughlin. “If you’re going to give tax breaks to companies, I want them to be the ones building single-family homes, building duplexes, building condos that can then be purchased by owner occupants. The idea that we are subsidizing landlords to be able to be continually to make money off these people instead of building financial security for the people who live here, that’s my contention with them.” 

Pictured above is a back patio from a recently built apartment in Columbus – and it is a disgrace. If you can afford $1,500 a month for a single-bedroom, logic and empathy would suggest you deserve a back deck with a fence (for security), a backyard with grass, and space to share your patio with a family member or friend. 

If this back patio was owner occupied, at least you would have the option to make such upgrades.