Columbia County, OR

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

53,493

US Senator

Ron Wyden

Democratic Party

US Senator

Jeff Merkley

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

43.3

0.231% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.87%

1.71% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$87,458

1.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$421,600

7.94% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

24,344

0.674% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia County, OR 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.

98.5% of the residents in Columbia County, OR are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia County, OR was $421,600, and the homeownership rate was 76.1%.

Most people in Columbia County, OR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia County, OR was 2 cars per household.

Columbia County, OR borders Clatsop County, OR, Multnomah County, OR, Tillamook County, OR, Washington County, OR, Clark County, WA, Cowlitz County, WA, and Wahkiakum County, WA.

United States Oregon Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

Population & Diversity

Columbia County, OR is home to a population of 53.5k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.47% of Columbia County, OR residents were born outside of the country (1.86k people).

In 2024, there were 19.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (45.1k people) in Columbia County, OR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.3k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 2.18k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Columbia County, OR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, OR was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, OR

White (Non-Hispanic)
45.1k ± 405
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.3k ± 222
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
2.18k ± 356

6.74%

Hispanic Population

3.6k people

6.74% of the people in Columbia County, OR are hispanic (3.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia County, OR 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 Oregon.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
141,836 ± 9,090 people
Vietnam
22,252 ± 3,653 people
China
21,575 ± 3,597 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oregon was Mexico, the natal country of 141,836 Oregon residents, followed by Vietnam with 22,252 and China with 21,575.

Foreign-Born Population

3.47%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.86k people

3.35%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.78k people

As of 2024, 3.47% of Columbia County, OR residents (1.86k 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, OR was 3.35%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,718 ± 280
Gulf War (2001-)
1,059 ± 263
Gulf War (1990s)
670 ± 191

Columbia County, OR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, OR employs 24.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia County, OR were Manufacturing (3,850 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,111 people), and Retail Trade (2,785 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($125,053), Information ($110,709), and Utilities ($99,226).

Employment

Occupations

24.3k

2024 Value

± 1,267

0.674%

1 Year growth

± 7.23%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, OR grew at a rate of 0.674%, from 24.2k employees to 24.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, OR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,786 people), Management Occupations (2,274 people), and Production Occupations (1,944 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia County, OR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Oregon (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

24.3k

2024 Value

± 1,267

0.674%

1 Year growth

± 7.23%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, OR grew at a rate of 0.674%, from 24.2k employees to 24.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, OR, are Manufacturing (3,850 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,111 people), and Retail Trade (2,785 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia County, OR, though some of these residents may live in Columbia County, OR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,532

Median earning men ± $4,167

$39,832

Median earning women ± $4,497

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($111,226), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($88,750), and Public Administration ($83,285).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($83,558), Public Administration ($68,805), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,770).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.87%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.97M people employed in Oregon. This represents a 2.87% 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 13.1%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

108
Construction
64
Other Services (except Public Administration)
63
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

$108k
Manufacturing
$56.2k
Retail Trade
$49.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing the state of Oregon. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oregon is currently represented by 6 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, OR. Showing the available data for Oregon.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (55.3%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (41%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.5%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Oregon

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

Ron Wyden

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on February 5, 1996
Elected to the seat following the resignation of Bob Packwood.

Jeff Merkley

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing Oregon.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia County, OR was $421,600 in 2024, which is 1.27 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $390,600 to $421,600, a 7.94% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, OR is 76.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia County, OR have an average commute time of 31.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia County, OR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.18%.

Housing

Property

$421,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,804

$15,936

Median Property Taxes

±$900

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, OR the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

76.1%

Homeownership

2024

66.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.1% of the housing units in Columbia County, OR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.7%.

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

$87,458

Median Household Income

± $4,578

20.9k

Number of Households

± 1,110

In 2024, the median household income of the 20.9k households in Columbia County, OR grew to $87,458 from the previous year's value of $86,359.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, OR 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia County, OR is from Oregon.

0.461

2023 Wage GINI in Oregon

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Oregon

In 2023, the income inequality in Oregon was 0.461 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.437% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oregon was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Oregon in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.9%)
Carpooled (13.5%)
Worked At Home (12.2%)

In 2024, 70.9% of workers in Columbia County, OR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.5%) and those who worked at home (12.2%).

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

31.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, OR have a longer commute time (31.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.15% of the workforce in Columbia County, OR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.18%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.87% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, OR (4.69k out of 52.8k 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 Females 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia County, OR is White, followed by Two Or More 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, 11.5% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.4%.

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 133 in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 41.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

94.6% of the population of Columbia County, OR has health coverage, with 47.8% on employee plans, 17.8% on Medicaid, 14.6% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 1.92% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, OR see 3,791 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,791 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1624 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 230 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,791 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, OR

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, OR see an average of 3,791 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,791 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.3% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 40.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.44%

Uninsured

47.8%

Employer Coverage

17.8%

Medicaid

14.6%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

1.92%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, OR declined by 4.21% from 5.68% to 5.44%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia County, OR 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 37.9 in Columbia County, OR.

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

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 36.9% in Columbia County, OR.

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