Columbus, IN · POP 85,729 · EMP 49,820 · DATA GRADE B

Columbus, IN

46.7 /100

consensus exposure · range [44.6–49.1] across 6 methodologies

#259 of 393

more exposed than 34% of US metros

By methodology

IndexExposure
OpenAI task exposure (Eloundou et al. 2024)46.6
Felten language-modeling AIOE (2023)44.6
Microsoft AI applicability (2025)48.0
Anthropic Economic Index observed usage (2026)45.4
Eisfeldt et al. generative-AI exposure (2024)49.1
Consensus (mean)46.7

Table 1. Where indices disagree, that disagreement is information: prediction-style indices (task ratings) and usage-based indices (observed AI conversations) measure different things. Methods §2.

Secondary measures

50.6

payroll-weighted exposure — higher than the headcount number: the exposed jobs are the better-paid ones

23.9%

of workers are in occupations where ≥50% of tasks are LLM-exposed (Eloundou β; threshold-sensitive — note)

84.7%

of area employment matched to scored occupations (grade B)

Scenario: if replacement-level AI arrives in 2030

2027 2035

Figure 1. Modeled displacement under the median preset (diffusion k=0.8, ceiling 0.75, automation share 0.45, friction lag 1.5y, attrition 3%/y). Solid: positions eliminated. The gap between gross and layoffs is natural attrition — speed of diffusion, not depth of exposure, determines layoffs. This is a scenario, not a forecast: adjust every assumption.

Where the losses land — and your assumptions

Positions eliminated by 2035 per occupation group, under the arrival year selected above. Drag any multiplier if you think we're wrong about a group — your model, your numbers. Multipliers scale that group's task exposure (×0 = immune, ×2 = double).

Table 3. Group exposure = employment-weighted mean task exposure (Eloundou β) over the group's local occupations. Bars use the same scenario engine as Figure 1 (median preset).

Most exposed local occupations

OccupationJobsMedian wageExposure [range]
Retail Salespersons 1,500 $29,840
67
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2,980 $46,950
31.5
Mechanical Engineers 1,000 $127,700
69.5
Office Clerks, General 790 $45,620
82.2
Industrial Engineers 910 $97,480
69.4
Customer Service Representatives 600 $42,700
91.1
Cashiers 900 $29,280
54.8
Machinists 1,470 $61,230
28.7
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 900 $49,030
46.6
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 450 $65,630
88.3

Table 2. Ranked by exposure × local employment. Bands on the 0–100 occupation scale.

Compare Columbus against any other metro — side by side.