City safety & data profile

ColumbiaPA

Columbia, PA is a 10K-resident city in Lancaster County with a median household income of $54,437.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Columbia, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Columbia has a population larger than 3% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $196,500.

Data updated 2026-07-20

10K
Population
Top 97%
By size
$54,437
Median income
$196,500
Median home
21.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Columbia

Columbia posts a median household income higher than 14% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 86%
by median income, US cities

Where Columbia income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$54,437 Bottom 14% higher than 14% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. PA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Columbia, PA beyond the headline numbers

Columbia sits inside Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at roughly 40.03°N, -76.50°W. Population 10,388, $54,437 median household income. Median home value $196,500, median rent $1,075. Poverty rate 21.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Columbia's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 41.5%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Columbia from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
10,388
Columbia
Median Income
$54,437
-20% vs avg
Median Home Value
$196,500
-14% vs avg
Median Age
41.8
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lancaster County) - Columbia's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
558K+7%
Median Income
$86,959+54%
Median Home Value
$301,100+60%
Poverty Rate
8.2%-22%
Unemployment
3.4%-54%

Economics

Economics indicators for Columbia, PA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,075/mo
Poverty Rate
21.4% +51% vs avg
Unemployment 3.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 17.4%
Work From Home 5.9%
Public Transit 0.6%

Population

White 71.6%
African American 9.5%

Health Profile 2 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
41.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.3%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Columbia, PA? ▼
Columbia, PA has a population of 10,388 people, located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
What is the median household income in Columbia? ▼
The median household income in Columbia, PA is $54,437 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 21.4%.
What is the median home value in Columbia? ▼
The median home value in Columbia, PA is $196,500. Median rent is $1,075/month.
What are the top health concerns in Columbia? ▼
The top health indicators in Columbia include Short Sleep Duration (41.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Columbia? ▼
The median age in Columbia, PA is 41.8 years. 17.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Columbia, PA is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. With a population of 10K and a $54,437 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Columbia area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Pennsylvania

Real-time AQI for every monitored Pennsylvania location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Elizabethtown, PA 12K Lancaster, PA 59K York, PA 44K Hershey, PA 14K Shiloh, PA 11K Lebanon, PA 26K Weigelstown, PA 13K Ephrata, PA 14K
All cities in Pennsylvania → Compare Columbia vs Elizabethtown → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Columbia's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Columbia area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Columbia against Pennsylvania peers on any ranking lens. Explore Pennsylvania

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lancaster County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.