Columbus, WI

Census Place

2024 Population

5,488

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.3

2.28% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

6.94%

13.6% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$75,427

0.627% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$230,600

Population & Diversity

Columbus, WI is home to a population of 5.49k people, from which 98.9% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.42% of Columbus, WI residents were born outside of the country (78 people).

In 2024, there were 40.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (4.96k people) in Columbus, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 122 White (Hispanic) and 108 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.9% of Columbus, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbus, WI was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbus, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
4.96k ± 234
White (Hispanic)
122 ± 133
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
108 ± 143

4.06%

Hispanic Population

223 people

4.06% of the people in Columbus, WI are hispanic (223 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbus, WI 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 Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
90,085 ± 7,313 people
India
22,216 ± 3,653 people
China
14,090 ± 2,911 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 90,085 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 22,216 and China with 14,090.

Foreign-Born Population

1.42%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

78 people

2.88%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

158 people

As of 2024, 1.42% of Columbus, WI residents (78 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, WI was 2.88%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
125 ± 66
Gulf War (2001-)
91 ± 87
Gulf War (1990s)
3 ± 16

Columbus, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Columbus, WI employs 3.26k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbus, WI were Manufacturing (518 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (479 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (286 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($75,938), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,269), and Construction ($69,792).

Employment

Occupations

3.26k

2024 Value

± 449

2.33%

1 Year growth

± 19%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, WI grew at a rate of 2.33%, from 3.18k employees to 3.26k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbus, WI, are Production Occupations (346 people), Sales & Related Occupations (299 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (289 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbus, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (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

3.26k

2024 Value

± 449

2.33%

1 Year growth

± 19%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbus, WI grew at a rate of 2.33%, from 3.18k employees to 3.26k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbus, WI, are Manufacturing (518 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (479 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (286 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbus, WI, though some of these residents may live in Columbus, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,026

Median earning men ± $6,305

$52,321

Median earning women ± $20,696

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($120,099), Retail Trade ($78,750), and Construction ($74,241).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,148), Wholesale Trade ($58,452), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($57,176).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbus, WI was $230,600 in 2024, which is 0.693 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $225,700 to $230,600, a 2.17% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbus, WI is 63.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbus, WI have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbus, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$230,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,127

$1,556

Median Property Taxes

±$287

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

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

Rent vs Own

63.4%

Homeownership

2024

61.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.4% of the housing units in Columbus, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66.7%.

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

$75,427

Median Household Income

± $12,770

2.45k

Number of Households

± 383

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.45k households in Columbus, WI grew to $75,427 from the previous year's value of $74,957.

The following chart displays the households in Columbus, WI 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbus, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.439

2024 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2024, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.439 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.364% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.7%)
Worked At Home (18.3%)
Walked (3.81%)

In 2024, 75.7% of workers in Columbus, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.3%) and those who walked to work (3.81%).

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

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbus, WI have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.308% of the workforce in Columbus, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

6.94% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbus, WI (374 out of 5.39k 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 75+, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbus, WI is White, followed by Black 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.

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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