Columbus, MS

Census Place

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2024 Population
23,348
US Senator
Roger Wicker
Republican Party
US Senator
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
41.1
3.79% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
21.3%
1.55% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$42,235
4.06% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$125,700
3.71% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
9,279
1.22% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbus, MS 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 Columbus, MS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbus, MS are Mississippi University for Women (873 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbus, MS was $125,700, and the homeownership rate was 47.8%.

Most people in Columbus, MS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbus, MS was 2 cars per household.

United StatesMississippiLowndes County, MSColumbus, MSGolden Triangle Region--Columbus, Starkville, & West Point Cities PUMA, MS

Population & Diversity

Columbus, MS is home to a population of 23.3k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.64% of Columbus, MS residents were born outside of the country (617 people).

In 2024, there were 2.17 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (15k people) in Columbus, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.93k White (Non-Hispanic) and 374 Asian (Non-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 Columbus, MS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus, MS was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbus, MS
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    15k ± 717
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    6.93k ± 673
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    374 ± 103
2.01%
Hispanic Population
470 people

In 2024, there were 2.17 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (15k people) in Columbus, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.93k White (Non-Hispanic) and 374 Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.01% of the people in Columbus, MS are hispanic (470 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Mississippi.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    17,149 ± 3,206 people
  2. Honduras
    5,066 ± 1,746 people
  3. India
    4,341 ± 1,616 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Mississippi was Mexico, the natal country of 17,149 Mississippi residents, followed by Honduras with 5,066 and India with 4,341.

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Foreign-Born Population

2.64%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
617 people
1.98%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
467 people

As of 2024, 2.64% of Columbus, MS residents (617 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, MS was 1.98%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    703 ± 262
  2. Vietnam
    337 ± 135
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    100 ± 64

Columbus, MS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.09 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Columbus, MS employs 9.28k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus, MS were Retail Trade (1,604 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,368 people), and Manufacturing (1,337 people), and the highest paying industries were Construction ($81,339), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,987), and Utilities ($65,817).

Employment

Occupations

9.28k
2024 Value
± 910
1.22%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, MS grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 9.17k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus, MS, are Production Occupations (963 people), Sales & Related Occupations (918 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (904 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus, MS.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Mississippi (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

9.28k
2024 Value
± 910
1.22%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, MS grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 9.17k employees to 9.28k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus, MS, are Retail Trade (1,604 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,368 people), and Manufacturing (1,337 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus, MS, though some of these residents may live in Columbus, MS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$33,125
Median earning men ± $14,854
$34,782
Median earning women ± $7,109

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($94,583), Public Administration ($68,605), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($64,639).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,441), Manufacturing ($40,953), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($40,288).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.
Y-Axis
1.38%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.17M people employed in Mississippi. This represents a 1.38% 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 12.5%.

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

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Mississippi. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Mississippi is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Columbus, MS. Showing the available data for Mississippi.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (60.9%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (38%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.439%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Mississippi went to Donald J. Trump with 60.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.439%).

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

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Mississippi

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Mississippi.
Roger Wicker
Senator from Mississippi1
Assumed office on December 31, 2007
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Trent Lott.
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Senator from Mississippi2
Assumed office on April 9, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Thad Cochran.

Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are the senators currently representing Mississippi.

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

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Education

In 2023, universities in Columbus, MS awarded 873 degrees. The student population of Columbus, MS in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 495 male students and 1,732 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbus, MS are White (522 and 60.2%), Black or African American (321 and 37%), Asian (12 and 1.38%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (9 and 1.04%).

The largest universities in Columbus, MS by number of degrees awarded are Mississippi University for Women (873 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Columbus, MS are Registered Nursing (394 and 45.1%), General Business Administration & Management (148 and 17%), and Speech-Language Pathology (60 and 6.87%).

The median tuition cost in Columbus, MS for a public four year colleges is $7,992 for in-state students and $7,992 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Columbus, MS, the percentage of applicants admitted was 100%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,227 (22.2% men and 77.8% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,227 students enrolled in Columbus, MS, 22.2% men and 77.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,339 records, of which 75.7% were women and 24.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    130 degrees awarded
  2. Speech-Language Pathology
    34 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    357 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbus, MS was General Business Administration & Management with 130 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Columbus, MS according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Mississippi University for Women
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
873 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Mississippi University for Women with 873 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 127 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbus, MS, which is 0.17 times less than the 746 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 522 degrees mean that there were 1.63 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 321 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,992) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbus, MS was $125,700 in 2024, which is 0.378 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $121,200 to $125,700, a 3.71% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus, MS is 47.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus, MS have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus, MS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$125,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$10,984
$4,783
Median Property Taxes
±$554

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, MS the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

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

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Rent vs Own

47.8%
Homeownership
2024
66.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 47.8% of the housing units in Columbus, MS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 48.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbus, MS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$42,235
Median Household Income
± $6,142
10k
Number of Households
± 903

In 2024, the median household income of the 10k households in Columbus, MS grew to $42,235 from the previous year's value of $40,588.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, MS 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 range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus, MS is from Mississippi.
0.45
2023 Wage GINI in Mississippi
0.452
2022 Wage GINI in Mississippi

In 2023, the income inequality in Mississippi was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.442% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Mississippi was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Mississippi in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (87.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (5.38%)
  3. Carpooled (4.98%)

In 2024, 87.8% of workers in Columbus, MS drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (5.38%) and those who carpooled to work (4.98%).

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.

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Commute Time

19 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus, MS have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.71% of the workforce in Columbus, MS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, MS (4.7k out of 22.1k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 75+.

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

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.

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Health

89% of the population of Columbus, MS has health coverage, with 37.7% on employee plans, 23.1% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 1.37% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Mississippi see 1,875 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,875 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1939 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 436 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.4% were men and 54.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.6% under 18 years, 25.2% between 18 and 34 years, 34.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.4% were men and 54.6% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

11%
Uninsured
37.7%
Employer Coverage
23.1%
Medicaid
12.8%
Medicare
14.1%
Non-Group
1.37%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbus, MS declined by 12.8% from 12.7% to 11%.

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

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