The Columbus Appeal – BET.com

The Columbus Appeal

By Mary Chapman

Summary: Chosen by BET.com as the No. 1 city for African Americans in 2004, Columbus is a community of diverse neighborhoods, low unemployment and relatively low crime rates. It is a destination for well-educated African Americans.

Why It Tied for No. 2 (with Washington, D.C.)

Columbus has a relatively low African American jobless rate (14 percent); a low cost of living index of 102.1 percent (the national average is 100); a decent median Black household income of $34,000; and high per-pupil spending ($9,946). The violent crime rate index is 442 per 100,000 residents; 4,826 for property crimes (the national average, respectively, is 554.4 and 4,073). Nearly 20 percent of its African Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and only about 16 percent of Blacks lack at least a high school diploma at age 25.

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