Columbia County, FL

County

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2023 Population

70,755

1.32% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/ARick Scott

Republican Party

US Senator

N/AAshley Moody

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

40.7

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

17%

8.53% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$55,070

2.93% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$186,400

12.8% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

28,139

2.51% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Columbia County, FL had a population of 70.8k people with a median age of 40.7 and a median household income of $55,070. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Columbia County, FL grew from 69,832 to 70,755, a 1.32% increase and its median household income grew from $53,501 to $55,070, a 2.93% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, FL are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (16.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.73%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.01%), and White (Hispanic) (2.1%).

None of the households in Columbia County, FL 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.

97.9% of the residents in Columbia County, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbia County, FL are Florida Gateway College (936 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Columbia County, FL was $186,400, and the homeownership rate was 70.9%.

Most people in Columbia County, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia County, FL was 2 cars per household.

Columbia County, FL borders Alachua County, FL, Baker County, FL, Gilchrist County, FL, Hamilton County, FL, Suwannee County, FL, Union County, FL, Clinch County, GA, and Echols County, GA.

United States Florida Lake City, FL

Population & Diversity

Columbia County, FL is home to a population of 70.8k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.99% of Columbia County, FL residents were born outside of the country (2.82k people).

In 2023, there were 4.35 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (50k people) in Columbia County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 11.5k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.64k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

98%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.9% of Columbia County, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, FL was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, FL

White (Non-Hispanic)
50k ± 328
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
11.5k ± 469
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
2.64k ± 521

7.43%

Hispanic Population

5.26k people

7.43% of the people in Columbia County, FL are hispanic (5.26k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Columbia County, FL 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 Florida.

Most Common Origin

Cuba
1,003,261 ± 24,014 people
Haiti
344,713 ± 14,299 people
Colombia
299,067 ± 13,333 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,003,261 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 344,713 and Colombia with 299,067.

Foreign-Born Population

3.99%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.82k people

3.79%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

2.65k people

As of 2023, 3.99% of Columbia County, FL residents (2.82k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia County, FL was 3.79%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,129 ± 271
Gulf War (2001-)
1,301 ± 312
Gulf War (1990s)
1,086 ± 266

Columbia County, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, FL employs 28.1k people. The largest industries in Columbia County, FL are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,956 people), Retail Trade (3,809 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (2,837 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($71,822), Wholesale Trade ($67,667), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($60,833).

Males in Florida have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $56,054. The income inequality in Florida (measured using the Gini index) is 0.474, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

28.1k

2023 Value

± 1,508

2.51%

1 Year growth

± 7.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia County, FL grew at a rate of 2.51%, from 27.5k employees to 28.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,431 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,895 people), and Management Occupations (2,150 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia County, FL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

28.1k

2023 Value

± 1,508

2.51%

1 Year growth

± 7.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia County, FL grew at a rate of 2.51%, from 27.5k employees to 28.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, FL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,956 people), Retail Trade (3,809 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (2,837 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia County, FL, though some of these residents may live in Columbia County, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

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

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Columbia County, FL went to Donald J. Trump with 72.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (27%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.678%).

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 26 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

2020 Election Results

N/ADonald J. Trump (72.1%)
Republican Party
N/AJoseph R Biden Jr. (27%)
Democratic Party
N/AJo Jorgensen (0.678%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Columbia County, FL for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

N/ARick Scott

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.

N/AAshley Moody

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Florida will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing Florida.

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 Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Florida

Florida is currently represented by 26 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Florida have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia County, FL are White (685 and 73.3%), followed by Black or African American (131 and 14%), Hispanic or Latino (81 and 8.66%), and Two or More Races (21 and 2.25%).

The largest universities in Columbia County, FL by number of degrees awarded are Florida Gateway College (936 and NaNM%).

The most popular majors in Columbia County, FL are Liberal Arts & Sciences (329 and NaNM%), Registered Nursing (72 and NaNM%), and Fire Science & Fire-Fighting (65 and NaNM%).

The median tuition cost in Columbia County, FL for a public four year colleges is $2,369 for in-state students and $9,473 for out-of-state students.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
329 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
53 degrees awarded
Physical Therapy Technician
8 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Columbia County, FL was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 329 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Florida Gateway College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

936 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Florida Gateway College with 936 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 345 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia County, FL, which is 0.584 times less than the 591 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 685 degrees mean that there were 5.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 131 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, 4-year or above ($2,369) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($731) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,271) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.19% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.2% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in false were N/A.

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia County, FL was $186,400 in 2023, which is 0.614 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $165,300 to $186,400, a 12.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, FL is 70.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Columbia County, FL have an average commute time of 25.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia County, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Columbia County, FL is $55,070. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Columbia County, FL was Census Tract 1106.02 with a value of $70,750, followed by Census Tract 1102.01 and Census Tract 1109.04, with respective values of $63,532 and $57,691.

In 2023, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, FL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.49%.

Housing

Property

$186,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,387

$18,938

Median Property Taxes

±$1,166

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

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

Rent vs Own

70.9%

Homeownership

2023

69.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 70.9% of the housing units in Columbia County, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.4%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 1106.02
Census Tract 1102.01
Census Tract 1109.04

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Columbia County, FL was Census Tract 1106.02 with a value of $70,750, followed by Census Tract 1102.01 and Census Tract 1109.04, with respective values of $63,532 and $57,691.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Columbia County, FL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$55,070

Median Household Income

± $3,248

26.7k

Number of Households

± 1,398

In 2023, the median household income of the 26.7k households in Columbia County, FL grew to $55,070 from the previous year's value of $53,501.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, FL 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia County, FL is from Florida.

0.474

2022 Wage GINI in Florida

0.473

2021 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2022, the income inequality in Florida was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.285% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (77.6%)
Carpooled (12.9%)
Worked At Home (7.07%)

In 2023, 77.6% of workers in Columbia County, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.9%) and those who worked at home (7.07%).

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

25.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, FL have a shorter commute time (25.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.68% of the workforce in Columbia County, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, FL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.49%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

17% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, FL (11.2k out of 66k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 45 - 54 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia County, FL is White, followed by Black 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 2023, 22.7% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, FL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 11%.

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.

Health

86.2% of the population of Columbia County, FL has health coverage, with 33.4% on employee plans, 20.2% on Medicaid, 12.5% on Medicare, 16.4% on non-group plans, and 3.6% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, FL see 2422 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.76% increase from the previous year (2312 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1717 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 369 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,422 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, FL

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, FL see an average of 2,422 patients per year. This represents a 4.76% increase from the previous year (2,312 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 17.3% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

13.8%

Uninsured

33.4%

Employer Coverage

20.2%

Medicaid

12.5%

Medicare

16.4%

Non-Group

3.6%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, FL grew by 5.17% from 13.2% to 13.8%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 90.9 in Columbia County, FL.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 34.3% in Columbia County, FL.

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