Columbia County, NY

County

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2024 Population

61,100

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

49.8

0.606% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.1%

6.32% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$81,528

2.5% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$347,100

12% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

28,732

2.05% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Columbia County, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.9% of the residents in Columbia County, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbia County, NY are Columbia-Greene Community College (223 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia County, NY was $347,100, and the homeownership rate was 76.3%.

Most people in Columbia County, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia County, NY was 2 cars per household.

Columbia County, NY borders Berkshire County, MA, Albany County, NY, Dutchess County, NY, Greene County, NY, Rensselaer County, NY, and Ulster County, NY.

United States New York Hudson, NY

Population & Diversity

Columbia County, NY is home to a population of 61.1k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.38% of Columbia County, NY residents were born outside of the country (4.51k people).

In 2024, there were 23.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (50.4k people) in Columbia County, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.17k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.61k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Columbia County, NY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, NY was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbia County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
50.4k ± 416
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.17k ± 251
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.61k ± 255

6.26%

Hispanic Population

3.83k people

6.26% of the people in Columbia County, NY are hispanic (3.83k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia County, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
493,200 ± 17,027 people
China
410,969 ± 15,575 people
Jamaica
234,174 ± 11,811 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 493,200 New York residents, followed by China with 410,969 and Jamaica with 234,174.

Foreign-Born Population

7.38%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

4.51k people

6.78%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.15k people

As of 2024, 7.38% of Columbia County, NY residents (4.51k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia County, NY was 6.78%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Columbia County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,474 ± 264
Gulf War (2001-)
355 ± 119
Gulf War (1990s)
283 ± 126

Columbia County, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.15 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbia County, NY.

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, NY employs 28.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia County, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,163 people), Educational Services (3,504 people), and Retail Trade (2,999 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($118,611), Finance & Insurance ($96,667), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($89,205).

Employment

Occupations

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,182

−2.05%

1 Year decline

± 5.87%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, NY declined at a rate of −2.05%, from 29.3k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, NY, are Management Occupations (4,081 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,581 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,288 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia County, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

28.7k

2024 Value

± 1,182

−2.05%

1 Year decline

± 5.87%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, NY declined at a rate of −2.05%, from 29.3k employees to 28.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,163 people), Educational Services (3,504 people), and Retail Trade (2,999 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia County, NY, though some of these residents may live in Columbia County, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,106

Median earning men ± $2,407

$47,560

Median earning women ± $4,145

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($102,722), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($83,403), and Information ($80,089).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($82,143), Public Administration ($63,849), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,617).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Y-Axis

2.74%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

208
Construction
156
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
125
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$212k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$104k
Retail Trade
$75.5k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Columbia County, NY awarded 223 degrees. The student population of Columbia County, NY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 754 male students and 942 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia County, NY are White (176 and 78.9%), Hispanic or Latino (19 and 8.52%), Black or African American (9 and 4.04%), and Asian (8 and 3.59%).

The largest universities in Columbia County, NY by number of degrees awarded are Columbia-Greene Community College (223 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Columbia County, NY are General Studies (63 and 28.3%), Registered Nursing (50 and 22.4%), and Humanistic Studies (29 and 13%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,696 students enrolled in Columbia County, NY, 44.5% men and 55.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,011 records, of which 64.2% were women and 35.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Studies
63 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
50 degrees awarded
Humanistic Studies
29 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Columbia County, NY was General Studies with 63 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Columbia County, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Columbia-Greene Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

223 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Columbia-Greene Community College with 223 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 79 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia County, NY, which is 0.549 times less than the 144 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 176 degrees mean that there were 9.26 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 19 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($5,256) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($648) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia County, NY was $347,100 in 2024, which is 1.04 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $309,800 to $347,100, a 12% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, NY is 76.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia County, NY have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia County, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.638%.

Housing

Property

$347,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,798

$20,315

Median Property Taxes

±$901

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Columbia County, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Columbia County, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.3%

Homeownership

2024

60.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.3% of the housing units in Columbia County, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia County, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$81,528

Median Household Income

± $5,033

26.6k

Number of Households

± 1,093

In 2024, the median household income of the 26.6k households in Columbia County, NY declined from $81,528 from the previous year's value of $83,619.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia County, NY is from New York.

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

In 2023, the income inequality in New York was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0797% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (66.7%)
Worked At Home (17.4%)
Carpooled (7.04%)

In 2024, 66.7% of workers in Columbia County, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.4%) and those who carpooled to work (7.04%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, NY have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.12% of the workforce in Columbia County, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbia County, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia County, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.638%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, NY (7.25k out of 59.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia County, NY is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.5% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 146 in Columbia County, NY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 3.65 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

96.6% of the population of Columbia County, NY has health coverage, with 42.5% on employee plans, 20.7% on Medicaid, 18.9% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 0.68% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, NY see 2,471 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,471 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2786 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 403 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.3% were men and 49.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,471 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, NY

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, NY see an average of 2,471 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,471 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Columbia County, NY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.7% under 18 years, 16.3% between 18 and 34 years, 41.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.3% were men and 49.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.38%

Uninsured

42.5%

Employer Coverage

20.7%

Medicaid

18.9%

Medicare

13.9%

Non-Group

0.68%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, NY declined by 11.7% from 3.83% to 3.38%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia County, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 48.1 in Columbia County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Columbia County, NY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33% in Columbia County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Columbia County, NY.