Columbia County, AR

County

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2024 Population

22,349

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.2

0.87% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

21.1%

6.88% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$55,334

16.8% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$152,100

7.34% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

9,674

2.78% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia County, AR 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.

98.7% of the residents in Columbia County, AR are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbia County, AR are Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (1,962 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia County, AR was $152,100, and the homeownership rate was 70.7%.

Most people in Columbia County, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia County, AR was 2 cars per household.

Columbia County, AR borders Lafayette County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Union County, AR, Claiborne Parish, LA, and Webster Parish, LA.

United States Arkansas Magnolia, AR

Population & Diversity

Columbia County, AR is home to a population of 22.3k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.53% of Columbia County, AR residents were born outside of the country (343 people).

In 2024, there were 1.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13k people) in Columbia County, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.69k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 688 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of Columbia County, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, AR was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, AR

White (Non-Hispanic)
13k ± 59
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.69k ± 204
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
688 ± 232

3.46%

Hispanic Population

774 people

3.46% of the people in Columbia County, AR are hispanic (774 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia County, AR 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 Arkansas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
66,711 ± 6,271 people
El Salvador
16,390 ± 3,135 people
India
10,242 ± 2,480 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 66,711 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 16,390 and India with 10,242.

Foreign-Born Population

1.53%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

343 people

1.74%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

393 people

As of 2024, 1.53% of Columbia County, AR residents (343 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, AR was 1.74%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
318 ± 123
Gulf War (2001-)
197 ± 97
Gulf War (1990s)
125 ± 92

Columbia County, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, AR employs 9.67k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia County, AR were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,742 people), Manufacturing (1,459 people), and Educational Services (1,448 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($60,243), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,660), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,040).

Employment

Occupations

9.67k

2024 Value

± 757

2.78%

1 Year growth

± 11.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, AR grew at a rate of 2.78%, from 9.41k employees to 9.67k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, AR, are Production Occupations (1,178 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,042 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (996 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia County, AR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (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

9.67k

2024 Value

± 757

2.78%

1 Year growth

± 11.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, AR grew at a rate of 2.78%, from 9.41k employees to 9.67k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, AR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,742 people), Manufacturing (1,459 people), and Educational Services (1,448 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia County, AR, though some of these residents may live in Columbia County, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,557

Median earning men ± $3,943

$28,053

Median earning women ± $3,761

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($71,058), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,143), and Manufacturing ($61,597).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($104,500), Public Administration ($55,956), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,315).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.24%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.35M people employed in Arkansas. This represents a 2.24% 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 8.69%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

46
Retail Trade
40
Other Services (except Public Administration)
28
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$117k
Manufacturing
$40.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$29.5k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Columbia County, AR. Showing the available data for Arkansas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.6%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.6%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Arkansas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Arkansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

John Boozman

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tom Cotton

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Arkansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Columbia County, AR awarded 1,962 degrees. The student population of Columbia County, AR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,189 male students and 2,938 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia County, AR are White (1,018 and 71.4%), Black or African American (251 and 17.6%), Two or More Races (65 and 4.56%), and Hispanic or Latino (61 and 4.28%).

The largest universities in Columbia County, AR by number of degrees awarded are Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (1,962 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Columbia County, AR are General Computer & Information Sciences (547 and 27.9%), General Studies (365 and 18.6%), and General Business (166 and 8.46%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,200 for in-state students and $12,780 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Columbia County, AR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 66.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 5,127 (42.7% men and 57.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 5,127 students enrolled in Columbia County, AR, 42.7% men and 57.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,675 records, of which 63% were women and 37% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Computer & Information Sciences
521 degrees awarded
Teacher Education & Professional Development
101 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
67 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Columbia County, AR was General Computer & Information Sciences with 521 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,962 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southern Arkansas University Main Campus with 1,962 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 909 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia County, AR, which is 0.863 times less than the 1,053 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 1,018 degrees mean that there were 4.06 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 251 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

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,620) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($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, AR was $152,100 in 2024, which is 0.457 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $141,700 to $152,100, a 7.34% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, AR is 70.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia County, AR have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia County, AR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.165%.

Housing

Property

$152,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$20,215

$5,948

Median Property Taxes

±$511

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, AR the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

70.7%

Homeownership

2024

63%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.7% of the housing units in Columbia County, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia County, AR 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.

$55,334

Median Household Income

± $6,938

8.41k

Number of Households

± 704

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.41k households in Columbia County, AR grew to $55,334 from the previous year's value of $47,363.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, AR 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 Columbia County, AR is from Arkansas.

0.448

2023 Wage GINI in Arkansas

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2023, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.73% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arkansas in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.8%)
Carpooled (7.96%)
Worked At Home (5.4%)

In 2024, 80.8% of workers in Columbia County, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.96%) and those who worked at home (5.4%).

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

22.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, AR have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.29% of the workforce in Columbia County, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbia County, AR 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, AR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia County, AR have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.165%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

21.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, AR (4.28k out of 20.3k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia County, AR is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

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, 27.8% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, AR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.5%.

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 317 in Columbia County, AR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 122 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.5% of the population of Columbia County, AR has health coverage, with 38.6% on employee plans, 23.1% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 16.3% on non-group plans, and 1.05% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, AR see 1,619 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,619 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2222 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 492 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,619 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, AR

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, AR see an average of 1,619 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,619 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 28.1% between 18 and 34 years, 32.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.52%

Uninsured

38.6%

Employer Coverage

23.1%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

16.3%

Non-Group

1.05%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, AR grew by 13.7% from 6.61% to 7.52%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia County, AR 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 87.9 in Columbia County, AR.

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

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 41.1% in Columbia County, AR.

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