Columbia County, Pennsylvania

PA · FIPS 42037 Republican

Located in Pennsylvania, Columbia County has a population of 65,362 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #841 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.7%. The median home value is $206,200, and the median household income is $64,644, which is 14% below the national median.

65,362
Population
#841 of 3,222
$64,644
Median Income
-14.0% #1,658 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,812 of 3,222
13.7%
Poverty Rate
+9.1% #1,692 of 3,222

Demographics

Columbia County has a population of 65,362, making it the #841 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.2%
Native Born
2.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Columbia County is $64,644, ranking #1,658 out of 3,222 counties — 14.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.7% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#1,658
$64,644
-14.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Per Capita#1,896
$33,218
-19.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poverty#1,692
13.7%
+9.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Unemployment#2,527
6.0%
+12.7%
vs nation
22th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Columbia County is $206,200 (-26.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $943/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.5%.

Home Value#1,341
$206,200
-26.9%
vs nation
58th percentile
Rent#1,207
$943
-18.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Homeownership#2,345
69.5%
+7.9%
vs nation
27th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Columbia County, 26.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.0% below the national average, ranking #1,046 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.6% −21.0% vs nation
Rank #1,046 of 3,222
68th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Columbia County is 76.5 years. 17.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,105
76.5
+1.8%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,327
17.9%
-8.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Diabetes#848
9.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
73th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,802
38.3%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,112
5.9
+4.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,720
4.5
+0.9%
vs nation
45th percentile
Uninsured Rate#468
6.0%
-42.4%
vs nation
85th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,230
24.6%
-6.8%
vs nation
61th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,271
13.3%
-7.7%
vs nation
60th percentile

Substance Use

17.5% of adults in Columbia County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 32.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,496
17.5%
-2.5%
vs nation
52th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,208
37.2%
-1.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,632
20.1%
+1.3%
vs nation
48th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,285
32.4
+0.1%
vs nation
39th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Columbia County is 4.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#463
4.2
-48.1%
vs nation
70th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,312
18.4
-6.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,137
16.0
-10.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#366
10.1
-50.3%
vs nation
87th percentile

Families & Children

13.8% of children in Columbia County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#332
5.2
-23.8%
vs nation
76th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#227
7.5
-65.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#908
13.8%
-27.3%
vs nation
71th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Columbia County is 58.4%. The mean commute time is 23.9 min, which is 13.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.9 min −13.4% vs nation
Rank #2,163 of 3,222
33th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Columbia County voted Republican with a margin of 31.0%. The vote was 34% Dem / 65% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +31.0%
34% 65%
Dem 32,576 votes Rep
2020 REP +30.7%
33.8% 64.5%
Dem 31,171 votes Rep
2016 REP +32.8%
31.3% 64.1%
Dem 27,127 votes Rep
2012 REP +12.4%
42.9% 55.3%
Dem 24,305 votes Rep
2008 REP +4.5%
47.1% 51.6%
Dem 28,063 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Columbia County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 65,362, making it the 841st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Columbia County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Columbia County is $64,644, which ranks #1,658 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Columbia County is $206,200, 26.9% below the national median. Renters in Columbia County pay a median gross rent of $943 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Columbia County, 26.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.9 min.

Columbia County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).

All data for Columbia County, Pennsylvania 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.