Columbia County, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia County, WA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,012 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.6 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.1 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,861 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia County grew by 0.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,012 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.8% of residents. That is 10.6 points above Washington as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 599 14.9% -6.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 657 16.4% -7.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 888 22.1% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,075 26.8% +10.6 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 Washington, 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 49.8% of the people living in Columbia County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Washington 49.7%
- Men 50.2% Washington 50.3%
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 | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,757 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.74% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia County is about 29% lower than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $170,416 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $984 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 14.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $984 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 113 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.2 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 113 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,510 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.9% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,321 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 114 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Washington:
Walla Walla County (12.2 min), San Juan County (12.3 min), Asotin County (13.2 min).
Slowest:
Mason County (32.0 min), Garfield County (28.4 min), Snohomish County (28.3 min).
The average commute time in Columbia County is 14 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Washington.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.12 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.4), San Juan County (0.4), Jefferson County (0.4).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.2), Yakima County (0.2), Grant County (0.2).
Health
Columbia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Washington:
King County (0.8), Whitman County (0.8), San Juan County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Okanogan County (0.8), Pacific County (0.8).
Columbia County, WA Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, WA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 4,012 residents against a local median of 34,728. The measure that sets Columbia County, WA apart most is median home price: $170,416, 21% below the local median of $215,862.
The counties themselves spread $268,312 on median home price, so Columbia County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Columbia County, WA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, WA | 4,012 | $69,757 #3/5 | $170,416 #3/5 | 13.6 min #4/5 |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 62,160 | $74,258 | $38,811 | 12.2 min |
| Asotin County, WA | 22,455 | $72,889 | $307,123 | 13.2 min |
| Whitman County, WA | 47,000 | $55,150 | $274,039 | 13.5 min |
| Adams County, WA | 20,799 | $66,281 | $157,686 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia County, Washington.
How big is Columbia County, Washington by population?
About 4,012 people live in Columbia County, Washington, in 1,861 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 48.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Columbia County, Washington mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia County, Washington has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 5% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Columbia County, Washington an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($170,416 against $69,757), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $984 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Columbia County, Washington?
Unemployment in Columbia County, Washington is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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