Columbia is home to 10,278 people in Pennsylvania. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Owners hold 53% of the housing stock. Density works out to 4,258 people per square mile. That trails the Pennsylvania median by roughly 30%. 3% of people here were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,437, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Columbia
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate10.8% → 21.4%(+10.6 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Hispanic share1.9% → 22.9%(+21.0 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Homes owned by their occupants62.8% → 52.8%(−10.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26.6%(190)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.8%(106)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.9%(214)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War10.1%(72)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II11%(79)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 715 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Columbia, decade by decade
Columbia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
10,701
$56,483
$131,044
7.5%
15.1
2000
10,311
$58,994
$135,713
8.4%
24.5
2010
10,400
$53,398
$139,829
9.7%
37.0
2020
10,207
$50,429
$151,868
15.8%
57.0
2024
10,278
$54,437
$196,500
17.4%
63.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
