Population 4,266 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Columbia
Household size in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.41 | 2.32 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.37 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.35 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | +0.02 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Columbia is a place of small households, averaging 2.32 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. That is in line with the rest of Bellingham. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.41, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 36.4 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 36.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.7 | 36.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.5 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +2.2 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Columbia are younger than 41.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Bellingham as a whole, where the median age is 38.6.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 8.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 7.9% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 7.6% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Columbia than nationally: 10.2%, against 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are more common here than in Bellingham as a whole (7.6%). Few Bellingham neighborhoods have a higher share of single-parent households: only two of 13.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0% | 47.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 47.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.4% | 48.4% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 47.8% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | +0.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Columbia is about as common as it is nationally: 35.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Bellingham as a whole (47.8%). Among homeowners, 41.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Only one other Bellingham neighborhood has a lower share of renters.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.5% | 8.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Columbia than nationally: 5.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Bellingham as a whole looks much the same.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1977 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1977 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1940 | 1979 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1940 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Columbia is a place of older homes: half were built before 1940, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Columbia has the oldest homes of any Bellingham neighborhood.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,170 | $852 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,302 | $986 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,337 | $1,212 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,684 | $1,680 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$514 | +$828 | +$858 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Columbia costs $1,684 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. That is in line with the rest of Bellingham. Rent takes 38.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.2% | 36.1% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 55.5% | 38.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.3% | 42.7% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.8% | 46.4% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +10.3 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Columbia: 55.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.6% | 91.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 92.5% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 94.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.4% | 95.1% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Columbia: 96.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Bellingham.
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 | Bellingham | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 9.1% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 5.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −3.9 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Columbia is close to the national rate: 6.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Bellingham overall (5.2%). 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 neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 2.32 | 41.5 | 10.2% | 35.2% | 5.9% | 1940 | $1,684 | 55.8% | 96.4% | 6.0% |
| Lettered Streets | 2.12 | 39.3 | 11.1% | 53.2% | 2.8% | 1959 | $1,392 | 48.7% | 94.3% | 7.1% |
| Birchwood | 2.10 | 42.9 | 9.6% | 53.5% | 7.5% | 1976 | $1,552 | 33.9% | 97.4% | 1.3% |
| York | 2.31 | 28.3 | 4.2% | 83.2% | 7.3% | 1953 | $1,506 | 49.5% | 92.8% | 16.7% |
| Sehome | 2.49 | 23.5 | 6.5% | 79.2% | 16.9% | 1968 | $1,541 | 46.8% | 94.5% | 10.2% |
| Western Washington University | 4.65 | 19.7 | 6.5% | 84.2% | 16.9% | 1968 | $1,618 | 46.4% | 100.0% | 17.9% |
| Puget | 2.40 | 29.7 | 4.6% | 53.6% | 5.8% | 1991 | $1,704 | 49.5% | 94.8% | 3.2% |
| Guide Meridian | 1.98 | 37.8 | 11.6% | 55.1% | 6.6% | 2003 | $1,627 | 36.9% | 94.4% | 4.1% |
| South Hill | 1.97 | 46.0 | 2.0% | 40.2% | 12.1% | 1971 | $1,689 | 72.1% | 96.3% | 4.3% |
| Mount Baker | 2.09 | 42.8 | 5.6% | 46.3% | 8.2% | 1996 | $1,997 | 40.1% | 94.2% | 2.3% |
| Happy Valley | 1.98 | 28.1 | 4.9% | 72.9% | 5.5% | 1989 | $1,592 | 53.1% | 97.5% | 6.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Cypress, Oxnard, CA · Canfield Manor, Mount Clemens, MI · Central, Helena, MT · Waterfront, Boston, MA · Claremont, Berkeley, CA · Read Blvd West, New Orleans, LA · Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC · Villa del Carmen, Ponce, PR · Urbanizacion Las Vegas, Catano, PR · Ridgewood, Madison, WI
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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