Population 3,255 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Columbia Center
Household size in Columbia Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.75 | 2.79 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.81 | 2.82 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.71 | 2.75 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.72 | 2.66 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.03 | −0.12 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Columbia Center has 2.50 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65.
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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.4 | 33.7 | 36.8 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 34.5 | 37.8 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.2 | 35.8 | 38.9 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.9 | 36.0 | 39.7 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.6 | +2.3 | +3.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.9, Columbia Center is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 33.4 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 18.7% | 12.0% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 19.4% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 25.7% | 18.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 20.1% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Columbia Center: 25.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Center
Renters in Columbia Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9% | 37.8% | 32.1% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.2% | 39.0% | 34.8% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.7% | 39.8% | 35.5% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 53.9% | 38.6% | 34.5% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.0 pts | +0.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Columbia Center rent: 53.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 34.3% have no mortgage at all, below 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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 13.8% | 9.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 13.4% | 9.8% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 12.0% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.3% of homes in Columbia Center are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1950 | 1966 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1950 | 1967 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1951 | 1967 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1954 | 1970 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +3 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Columbia Center is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Still, homes here are newer than in Hammond overall, where the median home dates to 1954.
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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $679 | $747 | $1,060 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $766 | $830 | $1,142 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $923 | $925 | $1,306 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,007 | $1,161 | $1,602 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$328 | +$414 | +$542 | +$384 | +$606 |
The median renter in Columbia Center pays $1,007 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 33.5% 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 Center
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 12.0% | 33.9% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 13.6% | 35.2% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 13.7% | 37.9% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 16.7% | 40.9% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +4.7 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Columbia Center have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.7%, 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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.4% | 77.1% | 85.6% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.1% | 78.7% | 86.7% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 81.4% | 88.4% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.6% | 82.2% | 89.5% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Columbia Center never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Center
| Period | Columbia Center | Hammond | Chicago area | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.6% | 9.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 14.0% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 7.9% | 6.3% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 7.0% | 6.3% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.8 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Columbia Center than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 5.4%. 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 Center 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 Center | 2.50 | 30.9 | 25.1% | 53.9% | 5.3% | 1971 | $1,007 | 12.7% | 80.6% | 4.5% |
| South Hammond | 2.35 | 42.5 | 12.7% | 32.0% | 13.5% | 1944 | $1,285 | 14.7% | 82.3% | 3.2% |
| Hollywood | 2.59 | 40.3 | 11.9% | 20.2% | 8.0% | 1961 | $1,226 | 42.2% | 96.0% | 3.8% |
| Forestdale | 2.62 | 31.2 | 18.3% | 50.7% | 6.0% | 1961 | $1,329 | 32.2% | 88.8% | 3.5% |
| Fairmeadow | 2.53 | 42.0 | 11.3% | 10.7% | 2.8% | 1966 | $1,652 | 57.5% | 97.5% | 10.2% |
| Bernice | 2.43 | 35.2 | 23.5% | 35.7% | 5.8% | 1960 | $1,290 | 18.6% | 94.3% | 10.6% |
| Central Hammond | 2.67 | 42.1 | 26.0% | 48.9% | 17.0% | 1948 | $997 | 9.4% | 73.5% | 7.6% |
| Turner-Meyn Park | 2.75 | 41.3 | 20.3% | 22.5% | 7.7% | 1958 | $1,354 | 12.6% | 81.2% | 6.3% |
| North Hammond | 3.12 | 32.5 | 16.8% | 51.9% | 15.7% | 1943 | $1,039 | 13.7% | 69.4% | 6.4% |
| Pulaski Park | 2.66 | 35.3 | 19.0% | 28.2% | 15.2% | 1946 | $893 | 12.9% | 76.7% | 8.9% |
| Brunswick | 2.60 | 35.0 | 37.8% | 57.4% | 17.7% | 1962 | $1,089 | 11.1% | 83.0% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Wilshire Park, Midland, TX · Irish Channel, New Orleans, LA · Indian Hills Riverbend, Wichita, KS · Idylwood, Redmond, WA · North Village, Cuyahoga Falls, OH · Westside, Syracuse, NY · Westview Park, Woodlawn, MD · Homewood North, Pittsburgh, PA · White Gables, Summerville, SC · Homestead Park, Homestead, PA
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 Center. 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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