Columbia County, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia County, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 77% of counties in New York
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 80% of counties in New York
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 77% of counties in New York
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 61,100 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 94.3 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.5 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,627 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia County declined by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 61,100 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.9% of residents. That is 3.1 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,390 17.0% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,240 18.4% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 14,591 23.9% +3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,591 23.9% +6.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.2% of the people living in Columbia County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% New York 51.3%
- Men 50.8% New York 48.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Columbia County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Columbia County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,826 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.22% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia County is about 4% lower than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $292,288 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,260 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.3% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 19.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,260 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.3 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,596 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 17.4% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,313 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 685 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New York:
Hamilton County (13.6 min), Chautauqua County (15.4 min), Franklin County (16.4 min).
Slowest:
Bronx County (43.2 min), Queens County (41.8 min), Kings County (41.6 min).
The average commute time in Columbia County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Columbia County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.0% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New York:
New York County (0.5), Tompkins County (0.4), Westchester County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.2), Orleans County (0.2), Hamilton County (0.2).
Health
Columbia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia County | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.2% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New York:
Tompkins County (0.8), Nassau County (0.8), New York County (0.8).
Lowest:
Bronx County (0.8), Montgomery County (0.8), Cattaraugus County (0.8).
Columbia County, NY Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, NY is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 61,100 residents against a local median of 160,332. Columbia County, NY's median home price, at $292,288, runs 29% above the $226,516 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $155,930 on median home price, so Columbia County, NY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Columbia County, NY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, NY | 61,100 | $82,826 #4/6 | $292,288 #2/6 | 21.7 min #3/6 |
| Berkshire County, MA | 129,358 | $76,040 | $337,519 | 16.8 min |
| Rensselaer County, NY | 160,332 | $87,745 | $181,589 | 21.8 min |
| Albany County, NY | 317,009 | $85,884 | $182,714 | 18.8 min |
| Greene County, NY | 47,409 | $78,318 | $262,000 | 25.1 min |
| Dutchess County, NY | 298,059 | $99,515 | $226,516 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia County, New York.
How many people live in Columbia County, New York?
About 61,100 people live in Columbia County, New York, in 26,627 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Columbia County, New York mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia County, New York has 94 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Columbia County, New York?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($292,288 against $82,826), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,260 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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