Columbia County, Florida Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Columbia County is located in Florida with a total population of 71,789. It is the 41st most populous county out of 67 in Florida. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Columbia County is 40.7 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 42.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Columbia County is $59,205. This is 21% lower than the state median of $74,568. It is also 27% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.7%. This is 33% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 10% higher than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $194,900. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $359,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 72.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% higher than the state average of 67.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Columbia County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 70.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 16.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (7.9%) is well below the state average of 27.4%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

16.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% lower than the state rate of 34.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Columbia County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Florida and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.