Columbus, MS business phone guide

The Columbus, MS area

The Columbus, MS micropolitan area covers 2 counties in Mississippi and had 67,035 residents in July 2024, down 3.1% since April 2020. The U.S. population grew 2.6% over the same period. Lowndes County, MS is the most populous, with 57,210 people. By population it ranks 506th of the 925 metro and micropolitan areas and 497th by business establishments.

Businesses in Columbus, MS

County Business Patterns counted 1,617 establishments in the area in 2023, employing 22,178 people in mid-March with $1.2 billion in annual payroll. That is an average of 13.7 employees per establishment. 50.6% of establishments with employees had fewer than five people. By establishment count, the largest sectors are retail trade (304), health care and social assistance (194), and other services (except public administration) (181).

How Columbus, MS's businesses compare

Columbus, MS has 24.1 business establishments per 1,000 residents, in line with the U.S. figure of 24.6. Establishments average 13.7 employees against 16.7 nationally, and payroll per employee is $54,373 (20.4% below the U.S. $68,342). 50.6% of establishments with employees have fewer than five people (U.S.: 55.5%), while 4.7% have 50 or more. Most establishments are far smaller than the average suggests, so it pays to price a phone plan at the headcount you actually have rather than the average.

Small-business industries in Columbus, MS

Of the 141 industries these guides cover, 78 have a published Census count in Columbus, MS. The largest are limited-service restaurants (57), full-service restaurants (40), and physician practices (37). Relative to population, pharmacies and drug stores are the most over-represented: 26.9 per 100,000 residents against 12.3 nationally.

Area codes in Columbus, MS

The area's named cities and towns have 45 NANPA-assigned exchanges across 1 area code; 662 has the most (100%). Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a business serving several parts of the area can hold a number in each.

Local numbers by city

Pages for 3 cities and towns in the area list their area codes, prefixes and carriers.

Phone costs for a typical Columbus, MS business

The comparison below uses 14 users, the rounded average establishment size in Columbus, MS. At list prices checked September 28, 2026, that is $349.30 a month on Ooma Office Pro and $420.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core. Callata comes to $279.00 a month for 14 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Callata in Columbus, MS

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Columbus, MS is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.