Population 22,155 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Columbia Heights
Household size in Columbia Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Columbia Heights run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of the Minneapolis area. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the south.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8 | 36.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.1 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.8 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.4 | 39.2 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Columbia Heights is 38.4 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.8 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Columbia Heights as they are nationally: 12.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Minneapolis area overall (9.8%). Columbia Heights has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Minnesota cities.
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 Heights
Renters in Columbia Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8% | 27.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 29.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.2% | 30.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.1% | 29.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Columbia Heights rent their homes (34.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the wider Minneapolis area (29.3%). More than a quarter of owners (27.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 5.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 7.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Columbia Heights than nationally: 6.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of the Minneapolis area. Vacancy has fallen 2.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1977 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Columbia Heights leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1961 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $881 | $1,007 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $909 | $1,077 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,005 | $1,258 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,398 | $1,603 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$517 | +$597 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Columbia Heights pays $1,398 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $517 a month from 2006–10, a 59% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 40.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the center.
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 Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 37.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 39.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.4% | 41.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 45.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +8.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Columbia Heights than nationally: 32.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 10.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the northwest.
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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.8% | 92.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.9% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.1% | 93.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.2% | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Columbia Heights have finished high school (91.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Even so, the rate is lower than in the wider Minneapolis area (94.0%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.4 points, as it has 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 Heights
| Period | Columbia Heights | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Columbia Heights is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Minneapolis area as a whole (4.0%). Unemployment has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Heights 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 Heights | 2.52 | 38.4 | 12.3% | 34.1% | 6.1% | 1972 | $1,398 | 32.1% | 91.2% | 5.0% |
| Hilltop | 2.95 | 32.8 | 12.9% | 42.0% | 3.3% | 1971 | $1,127 | 8.4% | 65.0% | 15.8% |
| St. Anthony | 2.36 | 44.8 | 8.2% | 40.2% | 7.5% | 1973 | $1,427 | 57.6% | 96.3% | 1.1% |
| New Brighton | 2.54 | 37.8 | 11.0% | 38.8% | 4.5% | 1976 | $1,479 | 46.9% | 94.9% | 2.2% |
| Fridley | 2.59 | 35.9 | 16.3% | 37.0% | 8.0% | 1969 | $1,379 | 29.2% | 91.5% | 6.3% |
| Brooklyn Center | 2.98 | 33.4 | 19.4% | 36.6% | 5.3% | 1963 | $1,513 | 24.0% | 87.8% | 4.8% |
| Arden Hills | 2.79 | 40.9 | 5.7% | 18.1% | 5.0% | 1976 | $1,774 | 68.5% | 97.4% | 4.7% |
| Robbinsdale | 2.29 | 40.0 | 11.9% | 29.0% | 4.7% | 1960 | $1,826 | 41.0% | 94.4% | 6.3% |
| Lauderdale | 1.98 | 35.4 | 6.6% | 45.7% | 1.9% | 1968 | $2,017 | 72.3% | 98.7% | 9.0% |
| Mounds View | 2.44 | 42.7 | 10.9% | 31.2% | 6.7% | 1974 | $1,325 | 37.8% | 94.3% | 2.5% |
| Spring Lake Park | 2.66 | 40.3 | 16.4% | 29.7% | 3.2% | 1975 | $1,445 | 26.2% | 91.8% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Acton, MA · Youngsville, NC · World Golf Village, FL · Winchester, MA · Willow Spring, NC · White Oak, MD · Wetumpka, AL · Westlake Village, CA · Westborough, MA · Twinsburg, OH
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 Heights. 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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