Columbia County, Georgia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Columbia County is located in Georgia with a total population of 162,434. It is the 15th most populous county out of 159 in Georgia. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Columbia County is 37.9 years. This is about the same as the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Columbia County is $95,592. This is 24% higher than the state median of $77,353. It is also 18% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.5%. This is 44% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. The unemployment rate is 4.8%. This is 6% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $305,300. Housing costs are about the same as the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.2x. 78.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Columbia County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 63.2% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 18.7%.

Education

38.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Columbia County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 10% higher than the state rate of 34.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.5%. Notably, 16.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

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 Georgia 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.