Columbia County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia County, WI 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 76% of counties in Wisconsin
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 90% of counties in Wisconsin
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Columbia County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,269 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 73.2 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.35% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,157 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia County grew by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 58,269 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.7% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,789 18.5% -2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,138 20.8% on par
- Gen X 45–60 13,248 22.7% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,104 19.1% +1.2 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 Wisconsin, 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 49.1% of the people living in Columbia County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 50.9% Wisconsin 50.0%
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 | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,141 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.27% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia County is about 10% higher than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $166,656 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $977 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.7% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 14.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $977 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia County 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 County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,082 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,211 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 541 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Columbia County is 24 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
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 | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Columbia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.7% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Columbia County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Columbia County, WI is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 58,269 residents against a local median of 88,711. Columbia County, WI's median home price, at $166,656, runs 50% below the $332,258 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.5 min against a local median of 20.1 min, 17% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 17% above the local median it puts Columbia County, WI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $210,187 on median home price, so Columbia County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Columbia County, WI has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, WI | 58,269 | $85,141 #2/4 | $166,656 #4/4 | 23.5 min #4/4 |
| Dane County, WI | 572,416 | $90,408 | $426,312 | 20.1 min |
| Sauk County, WI | 66,009 | $80,789 | $332,258 | 18.4 min |
| Dodge County, WI | 88,711 | $75,822 | $216,125 | 20.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia County, Wisconsin.
How big is Columbia County, Wisconsin by population?
About 58,269 people live in Columbia County, Wisconsin, in 24,157 households of 2.3 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.
Is Columbia County, Wisconsin urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia County, Wisconsin has 73 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, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($166,656 against $85,141), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $977 a month takes about 14% 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, Wisconsin?
Unemployment in Columbia County, Wisconsin is only 3.1%, 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, Wisconsin?
23.1% of adults in Columbia County, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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