Columbus, OH · Issue Report

Graffiti in Columbus

The read computed from 1,154 reports · JAN 2025 – JUN 2026

Columbus logged about 1,200 graffiti reports in the last 18 months. That is about one of every 60 complaints filed with code enforcement. Almost all of them carry low severity scores. These are quality-of-life reports, not emergencies. Graffiti reports peak in August at about one and a half times the volume of a typical month. No neighborhood is spared, but rates run highest in OSU / University District and Downtown (core). The same properties come up again and again. About three in ten reports point at an address that has been reported at least three times.

1 in 60
share of all reports
1,154 reports on file
Steady
2026 vs same months 2025
+5% so far this year
August
peak reporting month
about 1.5× a typical month
Get it handled

Want it fixed?

Report it to 311 with the address and what surface it is on. On private property the owner is responsible for removal, and the report is what starts that clock.

If it is on your own property, photograph it before cleanup in case you want a police report too.

Know the rules

What counts?

Graffiti on private buildings, fences, and garages is a code enforcement matter at the owner’s address. Tags on public infrastructure like signs, bridges, and utility boxes route to the city or the utility instead, and 311 can direct both.

When it gets reported

Share of the year's reports landing in each month, corrected for how many times each month appears in the data window.
January · 5% of the year's reportsJFebruary · 7% of the year's reportsFMarch · 10% of the year's reportsMApril · 7% of the year's reportsAMay · 7% of the year's reportsMJune · 12% of the year's reportsJJuly · 12% of the year's reportsJAugust · 13% of the year's reportsASeptember · 10% of the year's reportsSOctober · 8% of the year's reportsONovember · 4% of the year's reportsNDecember · 5% of the year's reportsD

Reports peak in August at about one and a half times the volume of a typical month. The quietest month is November. A quiet autumn does not mean the problem went away. Reporting drops citywide in cold months.

All graffiti reports by month latest month: 84
84 JAN '25 JUN '26

Where it's most reported

Neighborhoods ranked by rate, meaning each category's share of the neighborhood's reports against its citywide share, so big neighborhoods don't win just for being big. Only rates with enough reports behind them are listed.
#1OSU / University District7.6×152 reports #2Downtown (core)5.5×99 reports #3Short North4.9×83 reports #4Italian Village3.9×10 reports #5Franklinton2.4×119 reports

For contrast, rates run lowest in Far South / Steelton among the busiest areas.

Low Moderate Severe Critical
Open the live map filtered to graffiti →
Each dot is one report, colored by severity. The live map adds search, filters, and the Block Report.

Often reported with

What else shows up at the same addresses. Address-level comparison, so this reads as a building-quality signal, not a coincidence of one phone call.
Vacant & abandoned buildingsAddresses with graffiti reports are about three times as likely to also have vacant building reports on file.→ EncampmentsAddresses with graffiti reports are about twice as likely to also have encampment reports on file.→

What people describe

The words that come up most in these reports, from the complaint narratives. Counts are reports mentioning each phrase.
graffiti written63 graffiti building25 retaining wall41 grace39 broad66 graffiti garage25 high graffiti24 gang24

Common questions

How do I report graffiti in Columbus?

Call 311 with the address and the surface. Private-property graffiti becomes the owner’s removal responsibility once reported. Public infrastructure routes to the responsible agency.

Are graffiti reports in Columbus going up?

They are steady. So far this year Columbus has logged about the same number of graffiti reports as the same months last year.

Where are graffiti reports most common in Columbus?

Rates run highest in OSU / University District, Downtown (core) and Short North, comparing each neighborhood's share of reports against the citywide share. No neighborhood is entirely without them.

Looking at a specific address?

Get the full Block Report, covering what's been reported at that exact address, the same building, and chronic neighbors within a third of a mile.

Search an address →
Source & method

What counts here. Reports that describe graffiti on buildings, fences, garages, or other structures.

Data comes from official City of Columbus code enforcement records (Accela portal + ArcGIS REST API). Reports are categorized by keyword matching on complaint narratives and city record types, so counts are reports filed, not verified conditions, and automated matching can misfile individual records. The data window covers JAN 2025 – JUN 2026, so month-of-year patterns will sharpen as full years accrue.