Columbus, NE

Census Place

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2024 Population
24,488
US Senator
Deb Fischer
Republican Party
US Senator
Pete Ricketts
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
37.4
0.796% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
11.3%
16.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$64,626
3.85% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$213,600
7.39% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
12,483
0.795% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Columbus, NE 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.

90.3% of the residents in Columbus, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Columbus, NE was $213,600, and the homeownership rate was 66.1%.

Most people in Columbus, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbus, NE was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNebraskaPlatte County, NEColumbus, NENortheast Nebraska PUMA, NE

Population & Diversity

Columbus, NE is home to a population of 24.5k people, from which 90.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 14.3% of Columbus, NE residents were born outside of the country (3.5k people).

In 2024, there were 3.78 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.6k people) in Columbus, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.39k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.46k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.3%
2024 Citizenship
91.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.3% of Columbus, NE residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus, NE was 91.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbus, NE 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, NE
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    16.6k ± 453
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    4.39k ± 680
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    1.46k ± 444
28.2%
Hispanic Population
6.91k people

In 2024, there were 3.78 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.6k people) in Columbus, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.39k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.46k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

28.2% of the people in Columbus, NE are hispanic (6.91k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbus, NE 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 Nebraska.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    46,760 ± 5,245 people
  2. Guatemala
    11,721 ± 2,650 people
  3. El Salvador
    6,922 ± 2,039 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,760 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 11,721 and El Salvador with 6,922.

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Foreign-Born Population

14.3%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
3.5k people
14.9%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
3.6k people

As of 2024, 14.3% of Columbus, NE residents (3.5k 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, NE was 14.9%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    343 ± 109
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    200 ± 107
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    194 ± 125

Columbus, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.72 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Columbus, NE employs 12.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus, NE were Manufacturing (3,975 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,284 people), and Retail Trade (1,268 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($89,375), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,929), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($64,896).

Employment

Occupations

12.5k
2024 Value
± 856
−0.795%
1 Year decline
± 9.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, NE declined at a rate of −0.795%, from 12.6k employees to 12.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus, NE, are Production Occupations (2,420 people), Management Occupations (1,082 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,023 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus, NE.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (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

12.5k
2024 Value
± 856
−0.795%
1 Year decline
± 9.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, NE declined at a rate of −0.795%, from 12.6k employees to 12.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus, NE, are Manufacturing (3,975 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,284 people), and Retail Trade (1,268 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus, NE, though some of these residents may live in Columbus, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$50,034
Median earning men ± $2,894
$39,937
Median earning women ± $2,977

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($103,750), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,768), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,117).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,938), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,053), and Information ($52,917).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.
Y-Axis
2.25%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.03M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.25% 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 8.87%.

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

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 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, NE. Showing the available data for Nebraska.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (59.3%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (38.9%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Other (0.849%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Nebraska went to Donald J. Trump with 59.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (38.9%), followed by Other (0.849%).

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

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.
Deb Fischer
Senator from Nebraska1
Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Pete Ricketts
Senator from Nebraska2
Assumed office on January 12, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbus, NE was $213,600 in 2024, which is 0.642 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $198,900 to $213,600, a 7.39% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus, NE is 66.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus, NE have an average commute time of 15.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$213,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$8,540
$6,511
Median Property Taxes
±$570

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

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

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Rent vs Own

66.1%
Homeownership
2024
62.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 66.1% of the housing units in Columbus, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbus, NE 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.
$64,626
Median Household Income
± $4,890
9.85k
Number of Households
± 724

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.85k households in Columbus, NE declined from $64,626 from the previous year's value of $67,212.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, NE 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus, NE is from Nebraska.
0.447
2023 Wage GINI in Nebraska
0.444
2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2023, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.447 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.606% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (79.6%)
  2. Carpooled (11.2%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.35%)

In 2024, 79.6% of workers in Columbus, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) and those who worked at home (4.35%).

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

15.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus, NE have a shorter commute time (15.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.27% of the workforce in Columbus, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, NE (2.74k out of 24.2k 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 35 - 44, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbus, NE is White, followed by Hispanic 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

92.2% of the population of Columbus, NE has health coverage, with 50.7% on employee plans, 17.2% on Medicaid, 11.8% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 0.693% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nebraska see 1,343 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,343 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1217 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 294 patients per year.

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

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28.1% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% 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.

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Uninsured People

7.78%
Uninsured
50.7%
Employer Coverage
17.2%
Medicaid
11.8%
Medicare
11.8%
Non-Group
0.693%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbus, NE declined by 0.0194% from 7.78% to 7.78%.

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

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