Columbia County, Pennsylvania Housing Market Prices
Columbia County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 55% above the Pennsylvania median More expensive than 91% of counties in Pennsylvania$235,821
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Median rent 22% below the Pennsylvania median$943
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Columbia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $235,821 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 13.3% | 3.7% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $943 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.4% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 55% higher than in Pennsylvania. Rent is about 22% lower than the Pennsylvania average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Columbia County, up about 13.3% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Columbia County rose about 33.4% between 2015 and 2024, from $707 to $943. Over the same span, rent in Pennsylvania rose about 43.9%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.7 yearly household incomes in Columbia County.
Buying the median-priced home in Columbia County costs roughly 20.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Columbia County. The price-to-rent ratio in Pennsylvania is about 10.5.
| Metric | Columbia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $235,821 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $64,069 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Columbia County rose about 145.7%, while median household income rose about 46.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Columbia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 61.4% | 63.0% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 26.9% | 27.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 11.6% | 9.1% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 19.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 |
Columbia County has a homeownership rate of 61.4%, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%. Its housing vacancy rate is 11.6%, compared with 9.1% in Pennsylvania.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Columbia County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.32 people | 2.39 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1966 | 1966 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Columbia County was built around 1966. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 19.0 years on average.
Columbia County, PA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, PA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 65,057 residents against a local median of 143,391. The measure that sets Columbia County, PA apart most is median home price: $235,821, 171% above the local median of $86,986.
The counties themselves sit within $79,548 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Columbia County, PA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Columbia County, PA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, PA | 65,057 | $235,821 #1/4 | $943 #2/4 | 69.5% #3/4 |
| Northumberland County, PA | 90,556 | $86,986 | $806 | 75.5% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 143,391 | $74,375 | $875 | 76.1% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 326,964 | $153,924 | $1,004 | 67.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median home price in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
The median home price in Columbia County, Pennsylvania is $235,821, higher than the Pennsylvania average of $152,469.
What is the average home price in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
The typical home price in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, reported as the median sale price, is $235,821. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
The median gross rent in Columbia County, Pennsylvania is $943 per month, lower than the Pennsylvania average of $1,208.
What was the median gross rent in Columbia County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Columbia County, Pennsylvania was $776 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
The price-to-rent ratio in Columbia County, Pennsylvania is about 20.8, meaning it would take roughly 20.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Columbia County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Columbia County, up about 13.3% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
61.4% of households in Columbia County, Pennsylvania own their home, lower than the Pennsylvania average of 63.0%.
What is the vacancy rate in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
The housing vacancy rate in Columbia County, Pennsylvania is 11.6%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 9.1%.
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