MICROPOLITAN AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Columbus Micro

Columbus, NE · 2 counties · 38,959 residents · 1,087 sq mi

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The short version

Columbus is home to 38,959 people. Median home value sits at $47,337. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median rent is $302 a month. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.2% of people across the metro.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 32.8

US median: 33.0

Less educated

12% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 17%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

38,959

−7%vs 2000

vs 42,103 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Population density

36 / sq mi

−7%vs 2000

vs 39 / sq mi in 2000

Median age

32.8

−8%vs 2000

vs 35.6 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

1,087 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202445K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 58.5%(3,301)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 99%(3,503)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 148.5%(3,321)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.6%(2,577)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 245.2%(2,034)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.8%(6,149)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.9%(5,421)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.8%(3,432)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 648.7%(3,387)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.9%(3,096)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.9%(1,899)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2.2%(839)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$25,189

−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $38,489 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,241

−35%vs 2000

vs $17,341 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

9.2%

+0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.5% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$47,337

−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $75,065 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$302

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $424 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

74.0%

+0.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 73.8% in 2000

26.0% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic87.3%(36,743)

Black0.2%(98)

Hispanic / Latino11.4%(4,804)

Asian0.3%(141)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.7%(38,441)

Black0.3%(99)

Hispanic / Latino1.4%(542)

Asian0.3%(100)

Other0.8%(319)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican17.2%(7,780)

Central American8.6%(3,897)

Guatemalan4.9%(2,232)

Honduran2.9%(1,022)

Cuban2%(889)

Nicaraguan1%(344)

Salvadoran0.7%(299)

Puerto Rican0.5%(214)

South American0.4%(152)

Peruvian0.3%(92)

Colombian0.1%(27)

Spaniard0.2%(26)

+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data

Chilean0.1%(23)

Dominican0.2%(22)

Uruguayan0%(10)

Asian origin

Korean0.2%(66)

Filipino0%(22)

Chinese0%(2)

Cambodian0%(2)

Laotian0%(1)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0%(6)

Ancestry

German31.1%(14,109)

Irish7.7%(3,474)

Polish6.6%(2,971)

Czech6.1%(2,746)

English5.8%(2,610)

American2.5%(1,148)

Swedish2.5%(1,145)

Danish1.7%(750)

Norwegian1.4%(623)

French1.2%(534)

Subsaharan African0.9%(407)

Italian0.8%(361)

+ 29 more ancestry groups with data

Swiss0.7%(337)

Scottish0.6%(284)

Dutch0.6%(279)

Welsh0.4%(177)

British0.4%(126)

French Canadian0.2%(107)

Russian0.2%(101)

Ukrainian0.3%(88)

Austrian0.2%(87)

West Indian0.2%(62)

Greek0.2%(59)

Jamaican0.1%(39)

Ethiopian0.1%(33)

Lithuanian0.1%(31)

Arab0.1%(26)

Scotch-Irish0.1%(26)

Somali0.2%(21)

Slovak0.1%(20)

Jordanian0.1%(19)

Belgian0%(15)

Latvian0%(10)

Armenian0%(6)

Syrian0%(5)

Lebanese0%(4)

Finnish0%(3)

Portuguese0%(3)

Hungarian0%(2)

Nigerian0%(1)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(1)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Mexican population · Largest Central American population · Largest Irish population · Largest Polish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

11.8%

−4.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 15.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

77.3%

−4.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 81.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.5%

−1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.7% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

20.0 min

+77%vs 2000

vs 11.3 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 married36%(6,609)

Married56.2%(10,328)

Widowed2.5%(452)

Divorced5.4%(992)

Women 15+

Never married26%(4,370)

Married53.5%(8,986)

Widowed10.9%(1,823)

Divorced9.6%(1,618)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

8.4%

−5.1 ptssince 2013

from 13.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

56.7%

−3.1 ptssince 2020

from 59.9% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

15.5%

−1.9 ptssince 2020

from 17.4% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

17.1%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 17.0% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

17.6%

+4.6 ptssince 2020

from 13.0% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.6%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 1.8% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

70.2%

−4.9 ptssince 2020

from 75.1% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

32.6%

+4.9 ptssince 2020

from 27.6% 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)25.6%(452)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)30.8%(544)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era38.1%(672)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War9.6%(170)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.3%(5)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,766 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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In this metro