Baltimore - MD vs Columbus - OH: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Baltimore - MD is roughly 21% more expensive than Columbus - OH in typical home value. Columbus - OH sees more listings with price cuts (34.9% vs 30.2%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

Baltimore vs Columbus: what the numbers say

At today's 7.32% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $2,181 a month in principal and interest in Baltimore and $1,797 in Columbus, a gap of $385 a month.

Typical rent runs $1,937 in Baltimore and $1,525 in Columbus, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.1 times rent in Baltimore and 1.2 times rent in Columbus, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 17.1 years of rent in Baltimore and 17.9 in Columbus; the lower ratio in Baltimore means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved +2.2% in Baltimore and +2.6% in Columbus; over just the last three months the change was -0.1% in Baltimore and +0.4% in Columbus.

Homes sell for 100.1% of list price in Baltimore and 99.4% in Columbus, after 16 and 14 days on the market, with price cuts on 30% and 35% of listings. The signs are mixed: Baltimore has longer time on the market, while Columbus has more price cuts and sales further below list.

The number of homes for sale is up 11% on a year ago in Baltimore and up 9% on a year ago in Columbus.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-22), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.