Columbus, KS

Census Place

2024 Population

2,881

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

38.5

8.11% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

21.3%

9.96% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$37,961

4.95% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Columbus, KS is home to a population of 2.88k people, from which 99.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 0.798% of Columbus, KS residents were born outside of the country (23 people).

In 2024, there were 8.83 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.35k people) in Columbus, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 266 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 106 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.2% of Columbus, KS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus, KS was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbus, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.35k ± 164
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
266 ± 112
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
106 ± 79

2.53%

Hispanic Population

73 people

2.53% of the people in Columbus, KS are hispanic (73 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbus, KS as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Kansas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,373 ± 7,029 people
India
14,412 ± 2,940 people
Vietnam
10,201 ± 2,475 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kansas was Mexico, the natal country of 84,373 Kansas residents, followed by India with 14,412 and Vietnam with 10,201.

Foreign-Born Population

0.798%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

23 people

1.07%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

31 people

As of 2024, 0.798% of Columbus, KS residents (23 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 Columbus, KS was 1.07%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
63 ± 55
Korea
12 ± 28
Gulf War (2001-)
4 ± 17

Columbus, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.25 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbus, KS.

Economy

The economy of Columbus, KS employs 1.21k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus, KS were Health Care & Social Assistance (256 people), Manufacturing (199 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (111 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($98,750), Manufacturing ($61,989), and Educational Services ($51,250).

Employment

Occupations

1.21k

2024 Value

± 241

−6.84%

1 Year decline

± 29.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, KS declined at a rate of −6.84%, from 1.3k employees to 1.21k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus, KS, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (143 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (115 people), and Production Occupations (99 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus, KS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kansas (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

1.21k

2024 Value

± 241

−6.84%

1 Year decline

± 29.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, KS declined at a rate of −6.84%, from 1.3k employees to 1.21k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus, KS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (256 people), Manufacturing (199 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (111 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus, KS, though some of these residents may live in Columbus, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,261

Median earning men ± $14,856

$27,325

Median earning women ± $3,943

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($86,645), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($66,792), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($40,625).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($28,250), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($26,844), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($23,083).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbus, KS was $94,100 in 2024, which is 0.283 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $85,800 to $94,100, a 9.67% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus, KS is 67%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus, KS have an average commute time of 17.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$94,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$14,481

$909

Median Property Taxes

±$201

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

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

Rent vs Own

67%

Homeownership

2024

47.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67% of the housing units in Columbus, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 59.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbus, KS 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.

$37,961

Median Household Income

± $11,820

1.36k

Number of Households

± 248

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.36k households in Columbus, KS declined from $37,961 from the previous year's value of $39,936.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, KS 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 - $15k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus, KS is from Kansas.

0.459

2024 Wage GINI in Kansas

0.458

2023 Wage GINI in Kansas

In 2024, the income inequality in Kansas was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.185% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Kansas was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kansas in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (87.1%)
Carpooled (10.9%)
Worked At Home (1.65%)

In 2024, 87.1% of workers in Columbus, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (1.65%).

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

17.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus, KS have a shorter commute time (17.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Columbus, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, KS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbus, KS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, KS (599 out of 2.81k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 75+ and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbus, KS is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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