Population 96,533 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Columbia: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Columbia
Household size in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.65 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.65 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.59 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Columbia run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.48 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2 | 38.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.7 | 39.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 40.3 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Columbia are younger than 40.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.2 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the west.
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 | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Columbia (11.6%), the same as the national share. The single-parent share is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, 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
Renters in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.3% | 32.0% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.8% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.6% | 33.5% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.5% | 33.1% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Columbia rent their homes (35.5%), close to the national share of 34.8%. 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 4.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 9.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 7.2% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Columbia: 6.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Baltimore area. Vacancy has edged up 0.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1971 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Columbia are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the Baltimore area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1975. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northeast.
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 | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,400 | $1,179 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,581 | $1,293 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,851 | $1,477 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,028 | $1,778 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$628 | +$599 | +$620 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Columbia costs $2,028 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $628 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are 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
Bachelor's degrees in Columbia
| Period | Columbia | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.4% | 35.6% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 61.5% | 37.3% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 61.5% | 40.8% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 62.2% | 44.1% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Columbia is highly educated: just over six in ten adults 25 and older (62.2%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest 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
| Period | Columbia | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 87.8% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.6% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.3% | 91.1% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 92.1% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +4.3 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Columbia: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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
| Period | Columbia | Baltimore area | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 8.3% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Columbia than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 1.4 points, in line with the national trend. 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 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 | 2.56 | 40.2 | 11.6% | 35.5% | 6.7% | 1983 | $2,028 | 62.2% | 95.2% | 4.2% |
| Ilchester | 2.96 | 38.4 | 6.7% | 23.4% | 2.9% | 1995 | $1,944 | 63.1% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Fulton | 3.02 | 39.9 | 8.7% | 16.1% | 0.9% | 2009 | $2,970 | 83.8% | 98.3% | 1.5% |
| Clarksville | 3.24 | 45.5 | 5.5% | 7.0% | 2.0% | 1996 | $3,176 | 81.5% | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| Savage | 2.39 | 33.1 | 3.1% | 59.8% | 2.8% | 1970 | $2,029 | 47.2% | 87.5% | 6.6% |
| Ellicott City | 2.87 | 43.9 | 7.8% | 27.6% | 3.7% | 1990 | $2,345 | 68.6% | 95.5% | 3.0% |
| Jessup | 2.80 | 36.9 | 12.2% | 34.2% | 4.2% | 1997 | $2,127 | 39.8% | 89.4% | 5.5% |
| Scaggsville | 3.09 | 38.7 | 9.8% | 31.1% | 3.6% | 1992 | $2,418 | 56.1% | 90.2% | 2.1% |
| Elkridge | 2.83 | 33.8 | 14.5% | 40.2% | 4.7% | 2004 | $2,253 | 58.3% | 94.3% | 5.3% |
| Highland | 3.18 | 42.3 | 2.0% | 3.5% | 1.8% | 1986 | $3,151 | 76.1% | 97.2% | 1.8% |
| Annapolis Junction | 2.64 | 30.5 | 13.5% | 49.3% | 3.0% | 2003 | $2,202 | 49.2% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lucin, UT · Longmont, CO · Lubbock, TX · Land O' Lakes, FL · Lafayette, LA · Lafayette, IN · Leander, TX · Lexington, KY · Lexington, NC · Lexington, SC
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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.