How Columbus taxes your pay
Ohio cities tax pay where the work is done, and the city you live in may tax you too, less a credit for what the work city took. Columbus withholding is taken by your employer for work done inside the city limits, which reach into Franklin, Delaware and Fairfield counties.
Suburbs such as Dublin, Westerville and Upper Arlington have their own rates and credit rules. They are not in our tables yet; use "Other / not listed" for those.
Columbus tax rates for 2026
- Columbus city income tax: 2.5% of pay for residents, wherever they work; 2.5% for people who live elsewhere, on pay for work done here.
| Salary | Live and work here | Work here, live elsewhere in Ohio | Take-home, living here | Take-home with no local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $32,486 | $33,486 |
| $60,000 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $47,458 | $48,958 |
| $75,000 | $1,875 | $1,875 | $57,837 | $59,712 |
| $100,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $74,052 | $76,552 |
| $150,000 | $3,750 | $3,750 | $105,713 | $109,463 |
| $250,000 | $6,250 | $6,250 | $169,204 | $175,454 |
The commuter column assumes a home elsewhere in Ohio with no local tax of its own; a home city or county with its own tax can add to it or credit it.
Worked example: the Ohio median wage in Columbus
The median annual wage in Ohio is $49,380: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this in Columbus, Ohio.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,899.23 | $49,380.00 |
| Federal income tax | $144.06 | $3,745.56 |
| Social Security | $117.75 | $3,061.50 |
| Medicare | $27.54 | $716.04 |
| Ohio income tax | $42.86 | $1,114.36 |
| Columbus city income tax | $47.48 | $1,234.48 |
| Take-home pay | $1,519.54 | $39,508.06 |
You keep 80.0% of gross pay. Of the $9,872 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $3,746, followed by Social Security at $3,062.
Without the local tax the same salary would leave $40,743 a year in Ohio, so living and working in Columbus costs $1,234 a year, or 2.5% of pay.
Columbus paycheck questions
How much is Columbus local tax on $75,000 a year?
$1,875 for the year if you live and work in Columbus, single and paid every two weeks. That leaves $57,837 after all taxes, against $59,712 with no local tax.
Do I pay Columbus tax if I live there but work somewhere else?
Yes. Columbus taxes residents on their pay wherever they work.
What is the Ohio median wage after tax in Columbus?
The median wage in Ohio is $49,380 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). Living and working in Columbus, that leaves $39,508 a year after federal, Ohio, FICA and $1,234 of local tax.
What does a paycheck look like in Columbus?
At the Ohio median wage, paid every two weeks, each paycheck is $1,899.23 before tax and $1,519.54 after it. $47.48 of that goes to Columbus, next to $144.06 of federal income tax and $42.86 for Ohio.
How much Columbus tax is withheld on $250,000?
$6,250 for the year living and working there, which leaves $169,204 after every tax, against $175,454 with no local tax.
Sources
Rules checked . How we calculate.