Columbia County Demographics

A map of Columbia County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	102,633	99,111	63.2%	63.5%
Black	30,392	27,621	18.7%	17.7%
Hispanic	12,985	11,858	8.0%	7.6%
Asian	7,675	7,102	4.7%	4.6%
Multiracial	7,328	8,796	4.5%	5.6%
Native American/Other	1,421	1,522	0.9%	1.0%

Columbia County, Georgia has an estimated population of 162,434, an increase from the 156,010 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 63.2% White, 18.7% Black, 8.0% Hispanic, 4.7% Asian, 4.5% Multiracial, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Columbia County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Columbia is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Georgia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Columbia County, that probability was 55.4% in 2020 and 55.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Columbia County is ranked the 15th most populous county in Georgia, out of 159 counties. Columbia County was ranked the 16th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Columbia County's White Population

102,633 residents of Columbia County, or 63.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Columbia County is considerably higher than in Georgia overall, where 49.1% of the population is White. Columbia County ranks 70th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's White population has grown by an estimated 3.6%. White residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 63.2%.

Columbia County is more White than neighboring McDuffie County (53.1% White), Richmond County (31.4% White), McCormick County (56.1% White), and Edgefield County (56.5% White). Columbia County is less White than neighboring Lincoln County (68.2% White).

Columbia County's Black Population

30,392 residents of Columbia County, or 18.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Columbia County is considerably lower than in Georgia overall, where 30.7% of the population is Black. Columbia County ranks 109th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Black population has grown by an estimated 10.0%. Black residents' share of Columbia County's population has increased from 17.7% to 18.7%.

Columbia County is less Black than neighboring McDuffie County (40.1% Black), Richmond County (55.7% Black), Lincoln County (27.2% Black), McCormick County (40% Black), and Edgefield County (30.1% Black).

Columbia County's Asian Population

7,675 residents of Columbia County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Georgia overall, where 4.5% of the population is Asian. Columbia County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 8.1%. Asian residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.7%.

Columbia County is more Asian than neighboring McDuffie County (0.3% Asian), Richmond County (1.6% Asian), Lincoln County (0.1% Asian), McCormick County (0.2% Asian), and Edgefield County (0.3% Asian).

Columbia County's Hispanic Population

12,985 residents of Columbia County, or 8.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Columbia County is slightly lower than in Georgia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Columbia County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 8.0%.

Columbia County is more Hispanic than neighboring McDuffie County (3.7% Hispanic), Richmond County (5.8% Hispanic), Lincoln County (1.5% Hispanic), McCormick County (0.8% Hispanic), and Edgefield County (7.2% Hispanic).

Columbia County's Native American/Other Population

1,421 residents of Columbia County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Georgia overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Columbia County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 6.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Columbia County is more Native American/Other than neighboring McDuffie County (0% Native American/Other), Richmond County (0.8% Native American/Other), Lincoln County (0.2% Native American/Other), McCormick County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Edgefield County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Columbia County's Multiracial Population

7,328 residents of Columbia County, or 4.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Georgia overall, where 3.9% of the population is Multiracial. Columbia County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 159 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 16.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Columbia County's population has decreased from 5.6% to 4.5%.

Columbia County is more Multiracial than neighboring McDuffie County (2.8% Multiracial), Lincoln County (2.7% Multiracial), and McCormick County (2.1% Multiracial). Columbia County is less Multiracial than neighboring Richmond County (4.7% Multiracial), and Edgefield County (5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.