Columbia County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia County, OR 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 71% of counties in Oregon
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 86% of counties in Oregon
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,499 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 77.7 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.94% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,927 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia County grew by 10.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 53,499 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,722 18.2% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,177 20.9% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,042 22.5% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,494 19.6% +1.6 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 Oregon, 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 49.3% of the people living in Columbia County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 50.7% Oregon 49.9%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $86,781 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.87% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia County is about 4% higher than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $238,667 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,372 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 14.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,372 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 264 hours, about 11.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.7 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.4 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 264 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,185 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,625 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,367 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Columbia County is 32 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Oregon.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.9% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Columbia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Columbia County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, OR is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 53,499 residents against a local median of 314,534. Columbia County, OR's commute, at 31.7 min, runs 57% above the 20.2 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $238,667 against a local median of $475,004, 50% below it. The counties themselves sit within 5.1 min of each other on commute, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Columbia County, OR, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Columbia County, OR has the 5th lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, OR | 53,499 | $86,781 #3/5 | $238,667 #5/5 | 31.7 min #5/5 |
| Washington County, OR | 603,920 | $108,282 | $472,684 | 21.5 min |
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | $76,590 | $394,545 | 18.9 min |
| Clark County, WA | 516,710 | $98,079 | $477,323 | 21.7 min |
| Clatsop County, OR | 41,354 | $71,465 | $579,169 | 16.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia County, Oregon.
How many people live in Columbia County, Oregon?
About 53,499 people live in Columbia County, Oregon, in 20,927 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Columbia County, Oregon?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia County, Oregon has 78 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Columbia County, Oregon?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($238,667 against $86,781), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,372 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Columbia County, Oregon?
Unemployment in Columbia County, Oregon is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Columbia County, Oregon?
16.9% of adults in Columbia County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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