Columbia, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia, TN 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,144 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 716.0 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.89% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,350 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia grew by 29.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,144 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.8% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,696 21.8% +0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,684 21.7% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,865 18.6% -1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,114 15.7% -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 Tennessee, 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 53.2% of the people living in Columbia and men 46.8%.
- Women 53.2% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 46.8% Tennessee 49.1%
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100% of everyone living in Columbia
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Economy
Columbia has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,318 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.68% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia is about 12% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $196,818 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,164 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.5% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia is about 14.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,164 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,081 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,820 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,524 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbia is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbia has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Columbia | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.6% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Columbia, TN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Columbia, TN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, TN | 26,144 | $61,318 #2/2 | $196,818 #2/2 | 23.5 min #1/2 |
| Spring Hill, TN | 45,602 | $111,447 | $607,154 | 30.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia, Tennessee.
What is the population of Columbia, Tennessee?
About 26,144 people live in Columbia, Tennessee, in 10,350 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Columbia, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia, Tennessee has 716 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.3 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Columbia, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($196,818 against $61,318), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,164 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Columbia, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Columbia, Tennessee is only 2.4%, 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, Tennessee?
17.5% of adults in Columbia, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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