Columbia County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05027 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Columbia County has a population of 22,349 residents and a median age of 34.2 years, making it the #1,758 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.1%. The median home value is $152,100, and the median household income is $55,334, which is 26% below the national median.

22,349
Population
#1,758 of 3,222
$55,334
Median Income
-26.4% #2,452 of 3,222
34.2 years
Median Age
-12.1% #3,020 of 3,222
21.1%
Poverty Rate
+67.7% #2,772 of 3,222

Demographics

Columbia County has a population of 22,349, making it the #1,758 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.2 years, which is 12.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Columbia County is $55,334, ranking #2,452 out of 3,222 counties — 26.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.1% and unemployment stands at 3.2%.

Income#2,452
$55,334
-26.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Per Capita#2,794
$27,130
-34.2%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poverty#2,772
21.1%
+67.7%
vs nation
14th percentile
Unemployment#809
3.2%
-39.4%
vs nation
75th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Columbia County is $152,100 (-46.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $649/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.7%.

Home Value#2,205
$152,100
-46.0%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,938
$649
-44.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Homeownership#2,208
70.7%
+9.8%
vs nation
31th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Columbia County, 21.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 34.9% below the national average, ranking #1,669 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.9% −34.9% vs nation
Rank #1,669 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Columbia County is 71.5 years. 23.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,619
71.5
-4.9%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,531
23.8%
+21.7%
vs nation
20th percentile
Diabetes#2,846
14.3%
+28.5%
vs nation
10th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,788
42.1%
+12.8%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,635
6.2
+10.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,589
5.1
+14.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,408
8.8%
-16.4%
vs nation
55th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,596
31.3%
+18.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,844
19.1%
+32.6%
vs nation
10th percentile

Substance Use

19.8% of adults in Columbia County smoke , 41.1% are obese , and 17.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,213
19.8%
+10.3%
vs nation
30th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,372
41.1%
+8.4%
vs nation
25th percentile
Excessive Drinking#670
17.4%
-12.4%
vs nation
79th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Columbia County is 14.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,336
14.1
+76.6%
vs nation
13th percentile
Suicide Rate#484
13.4
-31.9%
vs nation
81th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,018
24.3
+36.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,950
23.4
+15.3%
vs nation
31th percentile

Families & Children

27.8% of children in Columbia County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 19.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,386
19.2
-11.9%
vs nation
54th percentile
Child Poverty#2,713
27.8%
+46.4%
vs nation
14th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Columbia County is 46.7%. The mean commute time is 24.2 min, which is 12.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
46.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.2 min −12.3% vs nation
Rank #2,108 of 3,222
35th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Columbia County voted Republican with a margin of 36.5%. The vote was 31.1% Dem / 67.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +36.5%
31.1% 67.6%
Dem 7,940 votes Rep
2020 REP +31.1%
32.7% 63.8%
Dem 8,616 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.2%
35.5% 61.7%
Dem 8,837 votes Rep
2012 REP +23.6%
37.6% 61.2%
Dem 9,455 votes Rep
2008 REP +24.1%
37.2% 61.3%
Dem 9,558 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Columbia County, Arkansas

Columbia County, Arkansas has a total population of 22,349, making it the 1,758th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Columbia County is 34.2 years, which is 12.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Columbia County is $55,334, which ranks #2,452 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.

The median home value in Columbia County is $152,100, 46.0% below the national median. Renters in Columbia County pay a median gross rent of $649 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Columbia County, 21.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.2 min.

Columbia County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 58.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (34.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.5%).

All data for Columbia County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.