Columbus County, NC

County

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2024 Population

50,140

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.6

0.472% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

18.2%

3.25% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$49,442

2.61% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$146,000

13.8% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

19,791

1.1% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbus County, NC 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.

97.6% of the residents in Columbus County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbus County, NC are Southeastern Community College (199722) (322 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbus County, NC was $146,000, and the homeownership rate was 71.1%.

Most people in Columbus County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbus County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Columbus County, NC borders Bladen County, NC, Brunswick County, NC, Pender County, NC, Robeson County, NC, Dillon County, SC, and Horry County, SC.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Columbus County, NC is home to a population of 50.1k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.32% of Columbus County, NC residents were born outside of the country (1.67k people).

In 2024, there were 2.09 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.4k people) in Columbus County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.68k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Columbus County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus County, NC was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbus County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
29.4k ± 155
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
14k ± 340
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.68k ± 379

5.65%

Hispanic Population

2.83k people

5.65% of the people in Columbus County, NC are hispanic (2.83k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbus County, NC 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 North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

3.32%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.67k people

2.17%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.1k people

As of 2024, 3.32% of Columbus County, NC residents (1.67k 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 Columbus County, NC was 2.17%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
851 ± 177
Gulf War (2001-)
644 ± 199
Gulf War (1990s)
467 ± 155

Columbus County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.32 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbus County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Columbus County, NC employs 19.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,859 people), Retail Trade (2,667 people), and Manufacturing (2,065 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($101,058), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($63,125), and Information ($62,614).

Employment

Occupations

19.8k

2024 Value

± 1,111

1.1%

1 Year growth

± 7.93%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus County, NC grew at a rate of 1.1%, from 19.6k employees to 19.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus County, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,947 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,806 people), and Management Occupations (1,589 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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

19.8k

2024 Value

± 1,111

1.1%

1 Year growth

± 7.93%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus County, NC grew at a rate of 1.1%, from 19.6k employees to 19.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,859 people), Retail Trade (2,667 people), and Manufacturing (2,065 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Columbus County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,094

Median earning men ± $2,466

$36,052

Median earning women ± $1,205

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($77,472), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,727), and Public Administration ($52,295).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($49,740), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,162), and Wholesale Trade ($41,375).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

86
Retail Trade
79
Other Services (except Public Administration)
62
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

$130k
Manufacturing
$103k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$69.8k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Columbus County, NC awarded 322 degrees. The student population of Columbus County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 493 male students and 904 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbus County, NC are White (205 and 63.7%), Black or African American (40 and 12.4%), Hispanic or Latino (30 and 9.32%), and Unknown (29 and 9.01%).

The largest universities in Columbus County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Southeastern Community College (199722) (322 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Columbus County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (96 and 29.8%), Building & Property Maintenance (27 and 8.39%), and Other Electrical Engineering Technology (27 and 8.39%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,397 students enrolled in Columbus County, NC, 35.3% men and 64.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 758 records, of which 62% were women and 38% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
96 degrees awarded
Other Electrical Engineering Technology
26 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
16 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Columbus County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 96 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Southeastern Community College (199722)

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

322 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southeastern Community College (199722) with 322 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 135 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbus County, NC, which is 0.722 times less than the 187 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 205 degrees mean that there were 5.13 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 40 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 ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($168) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,799) 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 Columbus County, NC was $146,000 in 2024, which is 0.439 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $128,300 to $146,000, a 13.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus County, NC is 71.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus County, NC have an average commute time of 29.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbus County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.2%.

Housing

Property

$146,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,896

$14,252

Median Property Taxes

±$885

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 Columbus County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

71.1%

Homeownership

2024

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.1% of the housing units in Columbus County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbus County, NC 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.

$49,442

Median Household Income

± $4,924

20k

Number of Households

± 1,096

In 2024, the median household income of the 20k households in Columbus County, NC grew to $49,442 from the previous year's value of $48,184.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus County, NC 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (83.3%)
Carpooled (8.88%)
Worked At Home (5.42%)

In 2024, 83.3% of workers in Columbus County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.88%) and those who worked at home (5.42%).

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

29.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus County, NC have a longer commute time (29.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.57% of the workforce in Columbus County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbus County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.2%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus County, NC (8.71k out of 47.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 30.2% of the children was living in poverty in Columbus County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

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 388 in Columbus County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 61.6 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.3% of the population of Columbus County, NC has health coverage, with 32.3% on employee plans, 24.7% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 1.14% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbus County, NC see 2,505 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,505 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3563 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 597 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,505 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbus County, NC

Primary care physicians in Columbus County, NC see an average of 2,505 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,505 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.7% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.7%

Uninsured

32.3%

Employer Coverage

24.7%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

12.6%

Non-Group

1.14%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbus County, NC declined by 6.84% from 13.6% to 12.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbus County, NC 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 91.6 in Columbus County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Columbus County, NC.

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 39.2% in Columbus County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Columbus County, NC.