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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Columbus County

North Carolina · 58,098 residents · 938 sq mi
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The short version

Columbus County is a county of 58,098 people in North Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The typical home is worth $89,000. The foreign-born share is 3%. 21.4% of people here live below the federal poverty line. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 22%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 39.8
US median: 37.2
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
58,098
+6%since 2000
from 54,749 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.8
+8%since 2000
from 36.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
938 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
49K51K54K56K59K19902000201020202024Columbus County
202450K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56%(3,514)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.5%(3,791)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.6%(3,838)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.6%(3,851)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246%(3,493)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3412.1%(7,013)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.8%(7,413)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.7%(8,535)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6413.5%(7,820)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 748.9%(5,192)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.8%(2,777)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(861)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,421
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,805 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$18,784
+30%since 2000
from $14,415 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
18.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
21.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2000
from 22.7% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.469
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information11.5%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade11.4%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade9.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 7%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction3.4%
US avg: 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 3.1%
Education & health services2%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 2.4%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$89,000
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$563
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $379 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
71.1%
−5.3 ptssince 2000
from 76.4% in 2000
28.9% rent
Vacancy rate
15.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 15.8% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.53 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
27.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 43.0% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.5
−6%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic62.8%(34,380)
Black30.9%(16,901)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(1,269)
Asian0.2%(118)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic60.4%(35,068)
Black30.3%(17,587)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(2,662)
Asian0.2%(143)
Other4%(2,327)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.1%(2,331)
Honduran0%(21)
Spaniard0%(15)
Cuban0%(8)
Ancestry
American20.8%(11,853)
English7.8%(4,412)
Irish7%(3,970)
German4.1%(2,345)
Scotch-Irish3.2%(1,841)
Scottish1.6%(884)
French1.4%(790)
Italian1.1%(645)
Dutch0.4%(251)
Swedish0.4%(211)
Russian0.3%(152)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.2%(133)
West Indian0.2%(101)
Arab0.1%(85)
Greek0.1%(83)
Norwegian0.1%(77)
British0.1%(70)
Welsh0.1%(61)
Czech0.1%(56)
Hungarian0.1%(46)
Moroccan0.1%(43)
Lebanese0.1%(39)
Danish0.1%(30)
Canadian0%(22)
Jamaican0%(21)
Austrian0%(15)
Slovak0%(12)
Belgian0%(10)
Finnish0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.1% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
77.5%
+8.9 ptssince 2000
from 68.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
3.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.8 min
+37%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
79.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 79.3% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
15.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
2.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
9.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
13.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
24.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.2% in 2009
Foreign born
2.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
9.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Columbus County

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Pop 49,629
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Pop 47,438
Jackson County
Pop 52,501
Gadsden County
Pop 44,298
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Head to head

Compare Columbus County to nearby counties

COLUMBUS COUNTY VS
Bladen County
Income$42,422+20%
Home value$135,100+52%
Population30,007−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS COUNTY VS
Brunswick County
Income$77,024+117%
Home value$349,800+293%
Population174,702+246%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS COUNTY VS
Horry County
Income$66,880+89%
Home value$287,700+223%
Population427,551+747%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBUS COUNTY VS
Robeson County
Income$41,978+19%
Home value$94,500+6%
Population119,941+138%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbus County, North Carolina?

Columbus County, North Carolina has about 58,098 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Columbus County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Columbus County, North Carolina earns about $35,421 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Columbus County, North Carolina expensive?

In Columbus County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $89,000, and the typical rent is about $563 a month.

How educated are people in Columbus County, North Carolina?

About 12.0% of adults age 25 and over in Columbus County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Columbus County, North Carolina?

About 21.4% of people in Columbus County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Columbus County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Columbus County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,511 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →