COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Columbus County

North Carolina · 49,587 residents · 938 sq mi

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The short version

With 49,587 people, Columbus County is a county in North Carolina. About 9% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 24.0% of people here live below the federal poverty line. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. Households here earn about 31% less than in North Carolina as a whole. The typical home is worth $45,400.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 34.4

US median: 33.0

Less educated

9% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 7%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

49,587

−9%vs 2000

vs 54,749 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

34.4

−7%vs 2000

vs 36.9 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

938 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202450K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.6%(3,283)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.8%(3,886)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.8%(3,885)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.1%(4,022)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 245.3%(2,622)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.3%(7,563)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.9%(7,374)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411%(5,469)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.7%(4,822)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.2%(4,068)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.3%(2,126)

US avg: 4%

85 and over0.9%(467)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$18,468

−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $26,805 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,134

−37%vs 2000

vs $14,415 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

24.0%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 22.7% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$45,400

−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $64,100 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$275

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $379 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

75.8%

−0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 76.4% in 2000

24.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic62.8%(34,380)

Black30.9%(16,901)

Hispanic / Latino2.3%(1,269)

Asian0.2%(118)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic66.1%(32,778)

Black30.6%(15,191)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(277)

Asian0%(16)

Other3.2%(1,602)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican4.4%(2,203)

Central American0.9%(430)

Honduran0.8%(400)

Puerto Rican0.1%(70)

South American0.1%(32)

Colombian0.1%(32)

Spaniard0.1%(31)

Salvadoran0.1%(30)

Cuban0%(20)

Dominican0%(15)

Asian origin

Vietnamese0.2%(106)

Burmese0.2%(78)

Asian Indian0.1%(38)

Filipino0%(14)

Japanese0%(13)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.1%(31)

Ancestry

American15.7%(7,872)

English9.2%(4,607)

Irish4.5%(2,268)

German2.9%(1,455)

Scotch-Irish1.7%(843)

Scottish1.4%(720)

French0.9%(430)

Subsaharan African0.8%(385)

Italian0.6%(324)

Polish0.3%(139)

Welsh0.3%(137)

Norwegian0.2%(107)

+ 26 more ancestry groups with data

Dutch0.2%(90)

West Indian0.2%(89)

Nigerian0.2%(83)

Arab0.1%(66)

French Canadian0.1%(56)

Jamaican0.1%(47)

Ukrainian0.1%(32)

Swedish0.1%(31)

Egyptian0.1%(28)

Lithuanian0.1%(28)

Moroccan0%(25)

Haitian0%(24)

Austrian0%(21)

Greek0%(21)

Canadian0%(20)

Hungarian0%(18)

Palestinian0%(11)

Israeli0%(11)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(10)

British0%(9)

Macedonian0%(8)

Guyanese0%(7)

Swiss0%(7)

Russian0%(3)

Syrian0%(2)

Danish0%(2)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest German population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

9.1%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.1% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

59.4%

−9.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 68.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

2.9%

−0.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 3.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

21.5 min

+10%vs 2000

vs 19.5 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married35.4%(7,330)

Married48%(9,937)

Widowed4.3%(885)

Divorced12.3%(2,537)

Women 15+

Never married26.5%(5,553)

Married46.5%(9,752)

Widowed15.4%(3,233)

Divorced11.6%(2,429)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

12.7%

−8.1 ptssince 2013

from 20.8% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

39.8%

+1.7 ptssince 2020

from 38.1% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

14.2%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 13.0% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

26.3%

+0.2 ptssince 2020

from 26.1% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

29.5%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 28.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.8%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 2.9% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

53.1%

+2.2 ptssince 2020

from 50.9% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

50.1%

+1.1 ptssince 2020

from 49.0% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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)24.1%(644)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)22.3%(595)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era34.5%(921)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.2%(113)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.2%(6)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,668 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.

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