Columbia County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Columbia County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 65,362. It is the 39th most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 31 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Columbia County is 41.0 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Columbia County is $64,644. This is 17% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.7%. This is 17% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. This is 14% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $206,200. Housing costs are 19% lower than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.2x. 69.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Columbia County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.1%. The Black or African American population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 10.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.1%) is well below the state average of 8.7%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 3.8%.

Education

26.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 24% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.6%.

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 Pennsylvania 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.