Official Federal Data
Columbia County, Washington
FIPS 53013 · Population 4,014
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$71,810 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.2% ▲
Unemployment
4% national
$498M ▲
GDP
24.9% ▼
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 4,014 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.
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
$71,810 ▲
Per Capita
$40,579 ▲
Mean Household
$88,239 ▲
Poverty Rate
9.3% ▼approx.
Median Income Comparison
Columbia County$71,810
Washington$98,141
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 18%
18-34 · 15.2%
35-54 · 22.3%
55-64 · 15.1%
65+ · 29.3%
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+
89.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +0.1 pts
24.9%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 10.8 pts
9.9%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 4.2 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
4,014
Population
1,834
Labor Force
Employed
1,763
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.2% ▲ +0.1 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.9%
Key Takeaways
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 10.8 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Aging population: Median age of 50 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 92 workers (74.8% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $30,394.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $498M (2024).
- Wage stratification: Utilities averages $192,535 while Retail Trade averages $30,394, a 6.3x 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
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
117
Cluster Employment
25.89x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Crop Production
25.89x 117
Utilities
6.02x 31
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Crop Production concentrates at 25.89x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
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
$271,200 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$985 ▲
Rent/Mo
77.7% ▲
Owner-Occ
16% ▼
Vacancy
3.8x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$738/mo
1 Bedroom
$951/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,052/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,463/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,765/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,795/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.8x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 77.7% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Elevated vacancy: 16% 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 (~$1,795/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
2,114 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.9%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
75.5%
of prime-age population
▼ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
24.9% ▼
HS Diploma+
89.7% ▼
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
37,363/yr
15,671/yr
9,043/yr
3,831/yr
3,463/yr
2,968/yr
2,387/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
28.7%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
34.9%
Service
19.6%
Sales & Office
19.4%
Construction / Maint.
14.8%
Production / Transport
11.2%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 1,763 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 28.7% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Low participation: 55.7% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 28,545 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 strong potential for crop production attraction, with a 25.89x concentration and 117 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 28.7% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
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, Washington, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Columbia County, Washington?
4,014 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Columbia County, Washington?
$71,810 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Columbia County, Washington?
4.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Columbia County, Washington?
$498M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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