Columbia County, OR

County

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2023 Population

53,178

0.592% 1-year growth

US Senator

Ron Wyden

Democratic Party

US Senator

Jeff Merkley

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

43.2

0.232% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

8.72%

4.35% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$86,359

3.72% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$390,600

6.98% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

24,181

0.739% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Columbia County, OR had a population of 53.2k people with a median age of 43.2 and a median household income of $86,359. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Columbia County, OR grew from 52,865 to 53,178, a 0.592% increase and its median household income grew from $83,265 to $86,359, a 3.72% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, OR are White (Non-Hispanic) (85%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5.9%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.64%), White (Hispanic) (2.01%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.846%).

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.

98.9% of the residents in Columbia County, OR are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Columbia County, OR was $390,600, and the homeownership rate was 75.7%.

Most people in Columbia County, OR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.9 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 53.2k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.35% of Columbia County, OR residents were born outside of the country (1.78k people).

In 2023, there were 14.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (45.2k people) in Columbia County, OR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.14k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 1.94k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

98.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.9% of Columbia County, OR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, OR was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
45.2k ± 504
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
3.14k ± 549
Two+ (Hispanic)
1.94k ± 436

6.37%

Hispanic Population

3.39k people

6.37% of the people in Columbia County, OR are hispanic (3.39k people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
143,534 ± 9,142 people
Vietnam
22,912 ± 3,706 people
China
22,028 ± 3,634 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oregon was Mexico, the natal country of 143,534 Oregon residents, followed by Vietnam with 22,912 and China with 22,028.

Foreign-Born Population

3.35%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.78k people

2.8%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.48k people

As of 2023, 3.35% of Columbia County, OR residents (1.78k 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, OR was 2.8%, 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
1,830 ± 296
Gulf War (2001-)
1,013 ± 265
Gulf War (1990s)
700 ± 188

Columbia County, OR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.81 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, OR employs 24.2k people. The largest industries in Columbia County, OR are Manufacturing (3,694 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,208 people), and Retail Trade (3,023 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($106,099), Utilities ($96,250), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,266).

Males in Oregon have an average income that is 1.28 times higher than the average income of females, which is $64,064. The income inequality in Oregon (measured using the Gini index) is 0.463, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

24.2k

2023 Value

± 1,231

−0.739%

1 Year decline

± 7.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia County, OR declined at a rate of −0.739%, from 24.4k employees to 24.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, OR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,914 people), Management Occupations (2,197 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,003 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

24.2k

2023 Value

± 1,231

−0.739%

1 Year decline

± 7.18%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia County, OR declined at a rate of −0.739%, from 24.4k employees to 24.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, OR, are Manufacturing (3,694 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,208 people), and Retail Trade (3,023 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

$59,307

Median earning men ± $3,711

$37,166

Median earning women ± $3,993

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($106,422), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($87,377), and Manufacturing ($75,112).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($65,270), Wholesale Trade ($57,868), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,125).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Columbia County, OR went to Donald J. Trump with 53.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (42.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (2.44%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (53.2%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (42.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (2.44%)
Libertarian Party

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

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Oregon

Oregon is currently represented by 6 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 Oregon have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.928% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.891% 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 Oregon.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (868k), High School or Equivalent (807k), and Bachelors Degree (693k).

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, OR was $390,600 in 2023, which is 1.29 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $365,100 to $390,600, a 6.98% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, OR is 75.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Columbia County, OR have an average commute time of 32.9 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.

Median household income in Columbia County, OR is $86,359. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Columbia County, OR was Census Tract 9706 with a value of $111,169, followed by Census Tract 9710 and Census Tract 9705, with respective values of $102,870 and $93,635.

In 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.223%.

Housing

Property

$390,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$12,978

$15,680

Median Property Taxes

±$942

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

75.7%

Homeownership

2023

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 75.7% of the housing units in Columbia County, OR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia County, OR 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 9706
Census Tract 9710
Census Tract 9705

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Columbia County, OR was Census Tract 9706 with a value of $111,169, followed by Census Tract 9710 and Census Tract 9705, with respective values of $102,870 and $93,635.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Columbia County, OR 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.

$86,359

Median Household Income

± $4,753

20.7k

Number of Households

± 1,072

In 2023, the median household income of the 20.7k households in Columbia County, OR grew to $86,359 from the previous year's value of $83,265.

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.

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Oregon

0.462

2021 Wage GINI in Oregon

In 2022, the income inequality in Oregon was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.21% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Oregon was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (72.3%)
Carpooled (13.2%)
Worked At Home (11.3%)

In 2023, 72.3% of workers in Columbia County, OR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.2%) and those who worked at home (11.3%).

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

32.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, OR have a longer commute time (32.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.89% 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 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.223%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.72% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, OR (4.58k out of 52.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 55 - 64 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 2023, 12.5% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, OR. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 8.4%.

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.

Health

94.3% of the population of Columbia County, OR has health coverage, with 48.6% on employee plans, 17.6% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 2.01% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, OR see 3110 patients per year on average, which represents a 6.91% increase from the previous year (2909 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1561 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 246 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,110 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, OR

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, OR see an average of 3,110 patients per year. This represents a 6.91% increase from the previous year (2,909 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.4% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 41.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.68%

Uninsured

48.6%

Employer Coverage

17.6%

Medicaid

14.4%

Medicare

11.6%

Non-Group

2.01%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, OR grew by 10.4% from 5.15% to 5.68%.

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 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 38.8 in Columbia County, OR.

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

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 30.2% in Columbia County, OR.

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