COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Central Ohio is growing, with the counties surrounding Columbus experiencing rapid population growth in the past five years.
NBC4 tracked all available population estimates from the U.S. Census for cities and towns in Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Pickaway, Fairfield, Union and Madison counties. Cities and towns not included in the data were excluded by the Census. See the full data at the bottom of the article.
Updated U.S. Census data reveals Franklin County’s population has increased by 2.77% since 2020 — equal to nearly 40,000 new residents. Bordering counties have all seen a larger percentage increase in population, with as much as a 14.5% population increase in Union County.
Every city outside of Franklin County saw population growth, as did many in Franklin County. Sunbury and Powell saw the largest population increases, with more than 22% more residents in Powell and over 25% more residents in Sunbury in 2025 than in 2020…