Auto · Metro area · Ohio
Gas stations in the Columbus, OH metro area
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gas stations in the Columbus, OH metro area, set against other metro areas and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 69 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #71 of 387 scored metro areas
#1 of 12 scored metro areas based in Ohio
- Listings
- 679
- 631 chain locations (93%)
- Official establishments
- 591
- +7.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $2.3B
- On gasoline and other fuels · $2,612 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.3M
- 39% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.9
- 28% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 2,242,028
- +4.7% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in the Columbus metro area
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of the Columbus metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 679 gas stations in the Columbus metro area. 631 of them (93%) are chain locations, against 84% across the U.S. That is 7.9 per 10,000 households, 28% below the U.S. rate of 10.9.
At $2,612 per household (in line with the U.S. average), households in the Columbus metro area spend about $2.3B a year on gasoline and other fuels. That is about $3.3M of household spending for each station on map listings, 39% above the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
In 2023, official counts showed 591 businesses with payroll in the Columbus metro area classed as gasoline stations, up 7.5% from 2019. That is one for every 1,463 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Official counts also show 19 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 9 SBA-backed loans worth $4.3M have gone to businesses classed as gasoline stations in the Columbus metro area.
Population estimates show the Columbus metro area grew 4.7% from 2020 to 2025, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For gas stations, the Columbus metro area has a Groundwork market score of 69 (upper middle): #71 of 387 scored metro areas and #1 of 12 scored metro areas based in Ohio. That puts it in the top quarter of metro areas.
How the Columbus metro area compares
The same measures for Ohio and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Columbus metro area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 7.9 | 10.3 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $3.3M | $2.5M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,463 | 1,256 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +7.5% | −0.9% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +4.7% | +0.9% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $2,612 | $2,610 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $81,945 | $71,389 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 69 | 47 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 591+7.5% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 6,751
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $182.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 19Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 679631 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 947The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 9
- Amount
- $4.3M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in the Columbus metro area, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in the Columbus metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 2,242,028+4.7% since 2020
- Households
- 864,663
- Median age
- 38.1
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 61%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.8
- Land area
- 4,798 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 454
- Median household income
- $81,945+25.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $110,942
- Median home value
- $300,800
- Jobs located here
- 1,129,650
- Daytime population
- 2,268,069Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Columbus metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of the Columbus metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across Ohio
Every Ohio market ranked →The highest-scoring metro areas in Ohio for gas stations, numbered among those based in Ohio, with the Columbus metro area marked.
Top metro areas in Ohio
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Columbus, OH | 69 | 679 | 7.9 | $3.3M | +4.7% | #71 of 387 |
| 2Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 63 | 851 | 9.4 | $2.9M | +2.7% | #106 of 387 |
| 3Akron, OH | 60 | 197 | 6.6 | $3.8M | 0.0% | #126 of 387 |
| 4Canton-Massillon, OH | 57 | 151 | 9.0 | $3M | −0.2% | #146 of 387 |
| 5Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 55 | 326 | 9.5 | $2.8M | +1.5% | #162 of 387 |
| 6Cleveland, OH | 46 | 859 | 9.2 | $2.6M | −0.8% | #222 of 387 |
| 7Lima, OH | 40 | 47 | 11.4 | $2.4M | −1.2% | #263 of 387 |
| 8Mansfield, OH | 39 | 59 | 11.8 | $2.2M | −0.1% | #273 of 387 |
| 9Springfield, OH | 39 | 71 | 12.7 | $2.1M | −0.4% | #274 of 387 |
| 10Toledo, OH | 38 | 271 | 10.6 | $2.4M | −1.0% | #280 of 387 |
Other business types in the Columbus metro area
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in the Columbus, OH metro area?
There are 679 gas stations on map listings in the Columbus metro area as of September 2026. 631 of them (93%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 591 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, up 7.5% from 2019. Another 19 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in the Columbus, OH metro area spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $2.3B a year, or $2,612 per household. That is in line with the U.S. average (an index of 101, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 679 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $3.3M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 864,663 households in the Columbus metro area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Columbus, OH metro area compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
The Columbus metro area has 7.9 gas stations per 10,000 households, 28% below the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $3.3M, 39% above the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the national ratio of gas stations to household spending, the Columbus metro area would have about 947, against 679 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,463 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.5% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is the Columbus, OH metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Columbus metro area at 2,242,028 people in 2025, up 4.7% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 864,663 households. The median household income in the Columbus metro area is $81,945 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 25.8% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. The Columbus metro area scores 69 for gas stations (upper middle), #71 of 387 scored metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Columbus metro area. It maps the gas stations on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in the Columbus metro area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Columbus metro area?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of the Columbus metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.