Columbus and Franklin County
Columbus's best, and the fine print
Columbus's best, plus plain answers on local money and legal questions.
- Sources cited on every page
- Updated November 15, 2026
- No paid rankings
Latest guides
Written for people who live here, with the law and the numbers cited.
Free Workouts in Columbus: The Olentangy, Scioto and Alum Creek Trails, Scioto Audubon's Climbing Wall and Obstacle Course
Where to exercise for free in Columbus: the 14-mile Olentangy Trail, the 24.5-mile Alum Creek Trail, the Scioto Trail along the Scioto Mile, the climbing wall and Rotary obstacle course at Scioto Audubon Metro Park, and the city's 20 fitness centers when the weather turns, with the closures Columbus Recreation and Parks lists right now.
MoneyColumbus Homestead Exemption: Filing With the Franklin County Auditor, and the $457 It Saves in Columbus
How Columbus homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or 100% disabled veterans apply for the homestead exemption with the Franklin County Auditor: the $41,000 income limit, the December 31 deadline, the forms, what it saves in Columbus school district areas, late filing for 2025, and the owner-occupancy credit every resident owner should have.
HealthLow-Cost Health Care in Columbus: PrimaryOne's Sliding Fee, Columbus Public Health Clinics and Free Hospital Care Under HCAP
Where Columbus residents without insurance or with low incomes can get care for less: PrimaryOne Health's sliding fee at sites across Columbus, Columbus Public Health's walk-in shots ($17 for uninsured adults) and sexual health clinic, the PrimaryOne dental clinic at 240 Parsons, and Ohio's Hospital Care Assurance Program at Ohio State and Nationwide Children's.
Best in Columbus
Coming soon. We publish only after we've checked it ourselves.
Money
- Columbus Homestead Exemption: Filing With the Franklin County Auditor, and the $457 It Saves in Columbus
- Franklin County Property Tax Due Dates: The February 28 and July 20 Schedule, Penalties, Fees and Payment Plans
- Columbus Property Tax Rate: The 115.89 Mills on a Columbus Bill, and What Your Home Actually Pays
- Columbus Rental Assistance: What's Open in Franklin County, Who Qualifies, and Free Eviction Lawyers
Living
Coming soon. We publish only after we've checked it ourselves.
How we work
Every number on ColumbusBest links to the law, the agency or the official report it came from. Best-of lists come from our own visits, and no business can pay to be on one.
- Checked sources. Statutes, state agencies and court rules, linked on the page.
- Dated. Each guide shows when we last checked it, and we update it when the law or the numbers change.
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