Columbia County Demographics

A map of Columbia County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	59,166	58,831	90.5%	90.9%
Hispanic	2,663	2,140	4.1%	3.3%
Multiracial	1,513	1,894	2.3%	2.9%
Black	1,085	867	1.7%	1.3%
Asian	480	748	0.7%	1.2%
Native American/Other	455	247	0.7%	0.4%

Columbia County, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 65,362, a less than 1% change from the 64,727 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.5% White, 4.1% Hispanic, 2.3% Multiracial, 1.7% Black, 0.7% Asian, and 0.7% 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 has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Pennsylvania 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 17.2% in 2020 and 17.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Columbia County is ranked the 39th most populous county in Pennsylvania, out of 67 counties. Columbia County was ranked the 40th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Columbia County's White Population

59,166 residents of Columbia County, or 90.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Columbia County is significantly higher than in Pennsylvania overall, where 73% of the population is White. Columbia County ranks 30th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 90.5%.

Columbia County is more White than neighboring Montour County (89% White), Northumberland County (88.7% White), Schuylkill County (86.2% White), and Luzerne County (74.2% White). Columbia County is less White than neighboring Sullivan County (93.2% White).

Columbia County's Black Population

1,085 residents of Columbia County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Columbia County is lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 10.3% of the population is Black. Columbia County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Black population has grown by an estimated 25.1%. Black residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.7%.

Columbia County is less Black than neighboring Montour County (2.4% Black), Northumberland County (2.6% Black), Schuylkill County (2.6% Black), Sullivan County (2.3% Black), and Luzerne County (4.1% Black).

Columbia County's Asian Population

480 residents of Columbia County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Columbia County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.8% of the population is Asian. Columbia County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 35.8%. Asian residents' share of Columbia County's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.7%.

Columbia County is more Asian than neighboring Northumberland County (0.4% Asian), Schuylkill County (0.5% Asian), and Sullivan County (0.1% Asian). Columbia County is less Asian than neighboring Montour County (3.4% Asian), and Luzerne County (1.2% Asian).

Columbia County's Hispanic Population

2,663 residents of Columbia County, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Columbia County is slightly lower than in Pennsylvania overall, where 8.7% of the population is Hispanic. Columbia County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 24.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Columbia County's population has increased from 3.3% to 4.1%.

Columbia County is more Hispanic than neighboring Montour County (3.1% Hispanic), and Sullivan County (2.3% Hispanic). Columbia County is less Hispanic than neighboring Northumberland County (5.2% Hispanic), Schuylkill County (7.8% Hispanic), and Luzerne County (17.3% Hispanic).

Columbia County's Native American/Other Population

455 residents of Columbia County, or 0.7% 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 Pennsylvania overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Columbia County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 84.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Columbia County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Columbia County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Montour County (0.2% Native American/Other), Northumberland County (0.5% Native American/Other), Schuylkill County (0.2% Native American/Other), Sullivan County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Luzerne County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Columbia County's Multiracial Population

1,513 residents of Columbia County, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Columbia County is comparable to the share in Pennsylvania overall, where 3.6% of the population is Multiracial. Columbia County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 67 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Columbia County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 20.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Columbia County's population has decreased from 2.9% to 2.3%.

Columbia County is more Multiracial than neighboring Montour County (1.8% Multiracial), and Sullivan County (2% Multiracial). Columbia County is less Multiracial than neighboring Northumberland County (2.6% Multiracial), Schuylkill County (2.7% Multiracial), and Luzerne County (2.9% 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.