Population 61,100 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Columbia County
Household size in Columbia County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Columbia County are small: just 2.25 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has edged down from 2.31 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.1 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.9 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.0 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.6 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.0, Columbia County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 44.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only three of New York's 62 counties are older.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Columbia County as they are nationally: 11.1%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as the national share fell.
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 County
Renters in Columbia County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.8% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.3% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Columbia County is largely a place of homeowners: only 23.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 46.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.9% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Columbia County: 19.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Columbia County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1965, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in New York overall, where the median home dates to 1961. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the west has the oldest housing.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $791 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $914 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $964 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,305 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$514 | +$698 | +$606 |
Rent in Columbia County runs $1,305 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $514 a month from 2006–10, a 65% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 31.7% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the north.
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 County
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.7% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.8% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.7% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults 25 and older in Columbia County (38.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 9.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.5% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.8% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.3% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Columbia County have finished high school (91.6%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 County
| Period | Columbia County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Columbia County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in New York as a whole (6.6%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 2.25 | 49.0 | 11.1% | 23.7% | 19.4% | 1965 | $1,305 | 38.7% | 91.6% | 5.5% |
| Greene County | 2.43 | 48.0 | 6.9% | 22.8% | 28.7% | 1967 | $1,099 | 31.2% | 89.9% | 4.1% |
| Hampshire County | 2.31 | 40.8 | 8.1% | 32.2% | 10.0% | 1967 | $1,516 | 52.5% | 95.9% | 5.4% |
| Hampden County | 2.51 | 40.7 | 15.3% | 37.8% | 7.7% | 1958 | $1,261 | 29.0% | 86.7% | 6.3% |
| Delaware County | 2.22 | 49.0 | 9.5% | 22.7% | 32.4% | 1968 | $916 | 28.3% | 88.8% | 6.0% |
| Worcester County | 2.56 | 41.1 | 11.7% | 34.2% | 6.8% | 1965 | $1,549 | 39.8% | 90.9% | 5.3% |
| Broome County | 2.36 | 41.0 | 12.4% | 35.5% | 13.0% | 1960 | $1,042 | 31.7% | 90.7% | 6.9% |
| Norfolk County | 2.59 | 41.9 | 7.9% | 31.3% | 5.0% | 1965 | $2,148 | 59.8% | 94.1% | 4.8% |
| Suffolk County | 2.36 | 35.9 | 12.1% | 63.5% | 9.3% | 1957 | $2,151 | 50.4% | 86.9% | 6.7% |
| Tioga County | 2.36 | 44.4 | 12.6% | 20.9% | 8.1% | 1966 | $1,014 | 25.0% | 91.1% | 5.5% |
| Chemung County | 2.27 | 42.8 | 12.2% | 31.6% | 10.9% | 1957 | $1,117 | 27.5% | 90.8% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Ionia County, MI · San Benito County, CA · Sampson County, NC · Salem County, NJ · Rutland County, VT · Roane County, TN · Reno County, KS · Putnam County, WV · Pittsylvania County, VA · Lake County, CA
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 County. 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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