Population 1,735 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Columbia
Household size in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Columbia average 2.58 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.44, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.8 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.2 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.0 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −6.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Columbia are younger than 40.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Columbia (9.5%), below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Columbia
Renters in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.3% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Columbia is largely a place of homeowners: only 19.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.5%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Columbia than nationally: 13.2%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across Alabama.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Columbia was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Alabama as a whole, where the median home dates to 1986.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $425 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $546 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $737 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $762 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$338 | +$375 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Columbia costs $762 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Columbia
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Columbia have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 7.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.3% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.8% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.2% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Columbia have finished high school as nationally: 88.6%, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Columbia runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Columbia compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 2.58 | 40.5 | 9.5% | 19.8% | 13.2% | 1981 | $762 | 7.5% | 88.6% | 3.9% |
| Hilton | 2.41 | 42.2 | 19.8% | 18.1% | 15.9% | 1987 | $1,057 | 9.7% | 78.3% | 13.2% |
| Barber | 2.23 | 47.5 | 8.3% | 26.7% | 21.9% | 1979 | $873 | 15.8% | 88.7% | 1.7% |
| Haleburg | 2.80 | 43.4 | 7.3% | 11.5% | 14.6% | 1977 | $692 | 16.5% | 86.2% | 4.6% |
| Webb | 2.48 | 44.4 | 8.2% | 22.6% | 15.8% | 1986 | $832 | 17.4% | 90.8% | 3.3% |
| Rock Hill | 2.33 | 47.7 | 4.2% | 23.5% | 6.9% | 1986 | $923 | 16.4% | 89.8% | 1.9% |
| Ashford | 2.52 | 43.0 | 11.2% | 25.4% | 14.1% | 1986 | $854 | 15.1% | 85.8% | 3.2% |
| Pansey | 2.35 | 50.5 | 3.8% | 20.7% | 20.0% | 1984 | $755 | 8.7% | 87.3% | 11.1% |
| Cowarts | 2.57 | 40.0 | 11.5% | 26.2% | 11.3% | 1992 | $869 | 15.1% | 88.1% | 5.9% |
| Avon | 2.54 | 42.6 | 13.3% | 25.2% | 12.1% | 1990 | $866 | 14.6% | 86.7% | 5.0% |
| Headland | 2.61 | 41.5 | 6.8% | 18.4% | 12.0% | 1988 | $808 | 29.7% | 86.3% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atwood, TN · Milam, TX · Redway, CA · Porterfield, WI · Petersburg, KY · Panacea, FL · North Springfield, VT · Ninnekah, OK · New Marshfield, OH · New Franklin, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Columbia. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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