Columbia County, Wisconsin

WI · FIPS 55021 Republican

Located in Wisconsin, Columbia County has a population of 58,272 residents and a median age of 43.7 years, making it the #916 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.8%. The median home value is $283,200, and the median household income is $85,351, which is 14% above the national median.

58,272
Population
#916 of 3,222
$85,351
Median Income
+13.6% #413 of 3,222
43.7 years
Median Age
+12.3% #1,028 of 3,222
7.8%
Poverty Rate
-38.5% #330 of 3,222

Demographics

Columbia County has a population of 58,272, making it the #916 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.6%
Native Born
2.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Columbia County is $85,351, ranking #413 out of 3,222 counties — 13.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.8% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#413
$85,351
+13.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Per Capita#559
$42,924
+4.0%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poverty#330
7.8%
-38.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Unemployment#696
3.1%
-42.4%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Columbia County is $283,200 (+0.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $978/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.7%.

Home Value#714
$283,200
+0.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Rent#1,070
$978
-15.9%
vs nation
67th percentile
Homeownership#1,229
76.7%
+19.0%
vs nation
62th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Columbia County, 26.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.9% below the national average, ranking #1,113 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.0% −22.9% vs nation
Rank #1,113 of 3,222
65th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Columbia County is 78.5 years. 14.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#506
78.5
+4.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#400
14.4%
-26.4%
vs nation
87th percentile
Diabetes#355
8.6%
-22.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#505
32.9%
-11.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,658
5.7
+0.7%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#730
3.9
-12.1%
vs nation
77th percentile
Uninsured Rate#502
6.1%
-41.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Physical Inactivity#675
22.2%
-15.9%
vs nation
79th percentile
Food Insecurity#170
9.2%
-36.1%
vs nation
95th percentile

Substance Use

16.5% of adults in Columbia County smoke , 38.7% are obese , and 25.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,138
16.5%
-8.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,686
38.7%
+2.1%
vs nation
46th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,071
25.3%
+27.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,063
28.1
-13.1%
vs nation
50th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Columbia County is 2.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#189
2.5
-68.6%
vs nation
88th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,412
18.9
-4.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#290
9.0
-49.7%
vs nation
88th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#985
15.1
-25.3%
vs nation
65th percentile

Families & Children

9.2% of children in Columbia County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 8.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#273
8.1
-62.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Child Poverty#259
9.2%
-51.6%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Columbia County is 76.4%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.2% vs nation
Rank #1,161 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Columbia County voted Republican with a margin of 4.6%. The vote was 47% Dem / 51.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +4.6%
47% 51.6%
Dem 34,843 votes Rep
2020 REP +1.5%
48.5% 50%
Dem 33,869 votes Rep
2016 REP +2.1%
46.2% 48.3%
Dem 29,287 votes Rep
2012 DEM +13.6%
56.3% 42.7%
Dem 30,460 votes Rep
2008 DEM +15.2%
56.9% 41.7%
Dem 29,272 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Columbia County, Wisconsin

Columbia County, Wisconsin has a total population of 58,272, making it the 916th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Columbia County is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Columbia County is $85,351, which ranks #413 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Columbia County is $283,200, 0.5% above the national median. Renters in Columbia County pay a median gross rent of $978 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Columbia County, 26.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Columbia County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).

All data for Columbia County, Wisconsin 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.