Columbia County, WA

County

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2024 Population

4,014

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

49.6

4.8% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

9.31%

3.17% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$71,810

0.394% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$271,200

5.9% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

1,763

0.114% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia County, WA 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.

95.9% of the residents in Columbia County, WA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia County, WA was $271,200, and the homeownership rate was 77.7%.

Most people in Columbia County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia County, WA was 3 cars per household.

Columbia County, WA borders Umatilla County, OR, Wallowa County, OR, Franklin County, WA, Garfield County, WA, Walla Walla County, WA, and Whitman County, WA.

United States Washington Walla Walla, WA

Population & Diversity

Columbia County, WA is home to a population of 4.01k people, from which 95.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.01% of Columbia County, WA residents were born outside of the country (201 people).

In 2024, there were 13.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.26k people) in Columbia County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 239 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 145 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.9% of Columbia County, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia County, WA was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia County, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.26k ± 61
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
239 ± 95
Other (Hispanic)
145 ± 56

8.35%

Hispanic Population

335 people

8.35% of the people in Columbia County, WA are hispanic (335 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia County, WA 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 Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
247,954 ± 12,030 people
India
116,227 ± 8,308 people
China
94,449 ± 7,500 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 247,954 Washington residents, followed by India with 116,227 and China with 94,449.

Foreign-Born Population

5.01%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

201 people

3.03%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

121 people

As of 2024, 5.01% of Columbia County, WA residents (201 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, WA was 3.03%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
198 ± 58
Gulf War (2001-)
62 ± 44
Gulf War (1990s)
46 ± 34

Columbia County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.19 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Columbia County, WA employs 1.76k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia County, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (250 people), and Retail Trade (222 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($95,357), Construction ($75,000), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($73,472).

Employment

Occupations

1.76k

2024 Value

± 234

0.114%

1 Year growth

± 19.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, WA grew at a rate of 0.114%, from 1.76k employees to 1.76k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia County, WA, are Management Occupations (200 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (180 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (162 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia County, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (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

1.76k

2024 Value

± 234

0.114%

1 Year growth

± 19.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia County, WA grew at a rate of 0.114%, from 1.76k employees to 1.76k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia County, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (250 people), and Retail Trade (222 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia County, WA, though some of these residents may live in Columbia County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,189

Median earning men ± $8,245

$45,903

Median earning women ± $8,567

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($95,625), Construction ($78,750), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($72,031).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,479), Public Administration ($51,488), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,583).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% 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 10.3%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

12
Wholesale Trade
9
Other Services (except Public Administration)
9
Construction

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

$16.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$8.73k
Manufacturing
$3.42k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 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, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

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

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia County, WA was $271,200 in 2024, which is 0.815 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $256,100 to $271,200, a 5.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia County, WA is 77.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia County, WA have an average commute time of 23 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia County, WA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.35%.

Housing

Property

$271,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$29,295

$1,447

Median Property Taxes

±$190

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

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

Rent vs Own

77.7%

Homeownership

2024

63.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.7% of the housing units in Columbia County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77.9%.

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

$71,810

Median Household Income

± $5,338

1.86k

Number of Households

± 234

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.86k households in Columbia County, WA grew to $71,810 from the previous year's value of $71,528.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, WA 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 $100k - $125k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia County, WA is from Washington.

0.469

2024 Wage GINI in Washington

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2024, the income inequality in Washington was 0.469 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0979% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (69.5%)
Worked At Home (11.9%)
Carpooled (9.39%)

In 2024, 69.5% of workers in Columbia County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.9%) and those who carpooled to work (9.39%).

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

23 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia County, WA have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.9% of the workforce in Columbia County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbia County, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia County, WA have 3 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Columbia County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.35%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

9.31% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia County, WA (370 out of 3.97k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 65 - 74.

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

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, 18.6% of the children was living in poverty in Columbia County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.2%.

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 37.7 in Columbia County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 68.7 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.2% of the population of Columbia County, WA has health coverage, with 37.1% on employee plans, 20.9% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 14.7% on non-group plans, and 2.86% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, WA see 1,347 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,347 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1342 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 290 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,347 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Columbia County, WA

Primary care physicians in Columbia County, WA see an average of 1,347 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,347 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.3% under 18 years, 15.1% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.83%

Uninsured

37.1%

Employer Coverage

20.9%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

14.7%

Non-Group

2.86%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia County, WA declined by 10.5% from 8.76% to 7.83%.

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