Columbus County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37047 · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

Key Statistics

Total Population
50,140
Rank #1,012 of 3,222
69th %ile
Median Household Income
$49,442 −34.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,800 of 3,222
13th %ile
Poverty Rate
18.2% +44.3% vs nat'l
Rank #2,473 of 3,222
23th %ile
Median Home Value
$146,000 −48.2% vs nat'l
Rank #2,313 of 3,222
28th %ile
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.6% −56.7% vs nat'l
Rank #2,869 of 3,222
11th %ile
Unemployment Rate
4.4% −17.2% vs nat'l
Rank #1,586 of 3,222
51th %ile

At a Glance

71.1% Homeownership
87.3% Insured
14.6% Bachelor's+

Age & Sex Distribution

MaleFemale
0-910-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-7980+10%5%0%5%10%

Race & Ethnicity

White (non-Hispanic)Black (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoTwo or More RacesAmerican Indian (non-Hispanic)Asian (non-Hispanic)Other (non-Hispanic)Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0%10.0%19.9%29.9%39.9%49.9%58.6%28.0%5.6%3.9%3.1%0.5%0.3%0.1%

About Columbus County, North Carolina

Columbus County, North Carolina has a total population of 50,140, making it the 1,012th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Columbus County is 42.6 years, which is 9.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Columbus County is $49,442, which ranks #2,800 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Columbus County is $146,000, 48.2% below the national median. Renters in Columbus County pay a median gross rent of $824 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Columbus County, 14.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.9 min.

Columbus County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 58.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (28.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.6%).

All data for Columbus County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.

About this data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). All values are estimates derived from survey samples and are subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.