Official Federal Data
Columbia County, Georgia
FIPS 13073 · Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC · Population 162,434
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$95,592 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.2% ▼
Unemployment
4% national
$6.2B ▲
GDP
38.5% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$95,592 ▲
Per Capita
$43,717 ▲
Mean Household
$119,651 ▲
Poverty Rate
7.5% ▼
Median Income Comparison
Columbia County$95,592
Georgia$77,353
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 24.8%
18-34 · 21%
35-54 · 27.4%
55-64 · 11.6%
65+ · 15.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +2.9 pts
38.5%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +2.8 pts
16.8%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +2.7 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
162,434
Population
81,961
Labor Force
Employed
74,739
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.2% ▼ 0.1 pts YoY
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11%
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 6,968 workers (22% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $41,331.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $6.2B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $83,960 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $22,316, a 3.8x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Accommodation & Food Services Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
5,565
Cluster Employment
1.66x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Machinery Manufacturing
2.82x 842
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.43x 916
2.25x 141
Rental and Leasing Services
2.16x 339
Forestry and Logging
2.15x 27
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
2.15x 1,210
General Merchandise Retailers
2.14x 1,902
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.66x 478
Food Services and Drinking Places
1.66x 5,565
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.17x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
121 employed
0.25x
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
236 employed
0.26x
Food Manufacturing
126 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Machinery Manufacturing concentrates at 2.82x the national norm.
- Cluster depth: 9 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$305,300 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,409 ▲
Rent/Mo
78.1% ▼
Owner-Occ
10.6% ▼
Vacancy
3.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$939/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,114/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,261/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,627/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,984/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,390/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.2x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 78.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 10.6% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
- Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,390/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
97,523 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
76.1%
of prime-age population
▼ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
38.5% ▲
HS Diploma+
92.5% ▼
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
48,676/yr
13,515/yr
9,969/yr
8,351/yr
7,682/yr
5,669/yr
3,490/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
19.4%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
46.4%
Service
16.7%
Sales & Office
18.4%
Construction / Maint.
8.5%
Production / Transport
9.9%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 74,739 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 31,835 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Columbia County shows emerging potential for machinery manufacturing attraction, with a 2.82x concentration and 842 jobs in this sub-sector.
The interconnected base across machinery manufacturing, building material and garden supply retailers, and creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Columbia County, Georgia, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Columbia County, Georgia?
162,434 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Columbia County, Georgia?
$95,592 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Columbia County, Georgia?
3.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Columbia County, Georgia?
$6.2B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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