Columbia County Demographics

A map of Columbia County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	45,096	44,228	84.3%	84.1%
Hispanic	3,603	3,070	6.7%	5.8%
Multiracial	3,224	3,428	6.0%	6.5%
Native American/Other	815	1,002	1.5%	1.9%
Asian	423	561	0.8%	1.1%
Black	332	300	0.6%	0.6%

Columbia County, Oregon has an estimated population of 53,493, a slight increase from the 52,589 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.3% White, 6.7% Hispanic, 6.0% Multiracial, 1.5% Native American/Other, 0.8% Asian, and 0.6% Black. 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 Oregon 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 28.4% in 2020 and 28.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Columbia County is ranked the 17th most populous county in Oregon, out of 36 counties. Columbia County was ranked the 17th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Columbia County's White Population

45,096 residents of Columbia County, or 84.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Columbia County is considerably higher than in Oregon overall, where 71.4% of the population is White. Columbia County ranks 11th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.0%. White residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 84.3%.

Columbia County is more White than neighboring Washington County (60% White), Cowlitz County (79.6% White), Clark County (72.5% White), and Clatsop County (80.4% White). Columbia County is less White than neighboring Wahkiakum County (84.9% White).

Columbia County's Black Population

332 residents of Columbia County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Oregon overall, where 1.8% of the population is Black. Columbia County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Black population has grown by an estimated 10.7%. Black residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Columbia County is less Black than neighboring Washington County (2.2% Black), Wahkiakum County (0.8% Black), Clark County (2.1% Black), and Clatsop County (0.9% Black).

Columbia County's Asian Population

423 residents of Columbia County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Columbia County is slightly lower than in Oregon overall, where 4.4% of the population is Asian. Columbia County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 24.6%. Asian residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Columbia County is less Asian than neighboring Washington County (11.4% Asian), Cowlitz County (1.2% Asian), Wahkiakum County (1.7% Asian), Clark County (5% Asian), and Clatsop County (1.2% Asian).

Columbia County's Hispanic Population

3,603 residents of Columbia County, or 6.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Columbia County is lower than in Oregon overall, where 14.7% of the population is Hispanic. Columbia County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 17.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Columbia County's population has increased from 5.8% to 6.7%.

Columbia County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wahkiakum County (5.6% Hispanic). Columbia County is less Hispanic than neighboring Washington County (18.6% Hispanic), Cowlitz County (10.5% Hispanic), Clark County (12.3% Hispanic), and Clatsop County (10% Hispanic).

Columbia County's Native American/Other Population

815 residents of Columbia County, or 1.5% 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 Oregon overall, where 1.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Columbia County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 18.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.5%.

Columbia County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Washington County (1.3% Native American/Other), Wahkiakum County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Clatsop County (0.5% Native American/Other). Columbia County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cowlitz County (1.8% Native American/Other), and Clark County (1.7% Native American/Other).

Columbia County's Multiracial Population

3,224 residents of Columbia County, or 6.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Oregon overall, where 6.1% of the population is Multiracial. Columbia County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 6.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Columbia County's population has decreased from 6.5% to 6.0%.

Columbia County is less Multiracial than neighboring Washington County (6.5% Multiracial), Cowlitz County (6.3% Multiracial), Wahkiakum County (6.8% Multiracial), Clark County (6.4% Multiracial), and Clatsop County (6.8% 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.