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Place dossier plate
SheetIN-COLUMBIA-CITY-IN · Columbia City, IN 9,975 pop · income 43rd pct · 8 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Columbia City
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Columbia City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Fort Stewart · lowest
51,090
Fort Stewart · lowest
51,090 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #1
Columbia City · this city
65,000
Columbia City · this city
65,000 median HH income
36.5% of the leader · rank #2
Athens · near
65,000
Athens · near
65,000 median HH income
36.5% of the leader · rank #3
Sweet Water · near
65,000
Sweet Water · near
65,000 median HH income
36.5% of the leader · rank #4
Graeagle · near
65,000
Graeagle · near
65,000 median HH income
36.5% of the leader · rank #5
Pensacola Sta… · near
65,000
Pensacola Sta… · near
65,000 median HH income
36.5% of the leader · rank #6
Kinnelon · highest
178,102
Kinnelon · highest
178,102 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Columbia City on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 9,975.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Columbia City - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Columbia City lands in the 43rd percentile for household income and the 64th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
43rd
percentile, household income
38th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
64th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Columbia City, IN
Columbia City is a small town in Indiana, home to 9,975 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Columbia City households earn a median of $65,000 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.9%. Home values in Columbia City run a median of $184,300, and the median resident age is 36.4 years. About 24.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 49 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 23% from five years earlier. Columbia City reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 991.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 49.5°F with 39.1 inches of precipitation per year and 21.4 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Indiana at 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,096 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Indiana run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 45.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Columbia City's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to within-city variation to work and mobility to climate and hazard context to population change to schools and households to reported crime to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Columbia City, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Columbia City?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
What can 8 Census tracts reveal inside Columbia City?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
What does the journey to work look like in Columbia City?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for Columbia City?
Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Greencastle (9,863 residents, $54,217 income); Kendallville (10,094 residents, $60,909 income); Bargersville (10,163 residents, $104,160 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Cape Canaveral, FL (9,976 residents); Fort Stewart, GA (9,976 residents); Sweet Home, OR (9,977 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Columbia City?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 49.5°F, with 39.1 inches of precipitation and 21.4 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Indiana is 45.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
49.5°F
Annual precipitation
39.1 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
45.5
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Columbia City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +288 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 49 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+2.9%
2025 estimate
10,256
2020 estimate
9,968
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the education layer cover for Columbia City?
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 24.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
6
Bachelor's degree+
24.9%
Poverty estimate
12.9%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Columbia City?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 991.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 57% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
863.9
Violent rate
127.6
Total reported rate
991.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 12.9% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average
C-
City profile score · Columbia City, IN
51/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B
93.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime C+
128 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
24.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$65,000
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Columbia City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
Violent crime: 64/100 (C+) · 128 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 49/100 (D) · 24.9%
Household income: 42/100 (D) · $65,000
Poverty rate: 28/100 (F) · 12.9%
Where Columbia City sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Columbia City's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Columbia City highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Columbia City, IN (this city): home $184,300, crime 992/100k
Sweet Home, OR : home $245,700, crime 2,848/100k
Bay St. Louis, MS : home $231,900, crime 2,477/100k
Kinnelon, NJ : home $682,600, crime 361/100k
Kendallville, IN : home $130,600, crime 909/100k
Bargersville, IN : home $405,100, crime 484/100k
Decatur, IN : home $132,900, crime 846/100k
McCordsville, IN : home $327,900, crime 1,032/100k
How does Columbia City compare to other US cities?
Columbia City measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income43% higher than other cities
Home value38% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
Safety64% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Indiana and the picture shifts: Columbia City ranks #52 of 110 Indiana cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Columbia City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Indiana-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Columbia City near the bottom of Indiana's cities
Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Columbia City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Columbia City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#329 of 766
57th percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#210 of 771
73rd percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#207 of 849
76th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#201 of 850
76th percentile in Indiana
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
43rd percentile nationally for median household income · 64th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Columbia City's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Columbia City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Columbia City's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$184,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 62% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Columbia City's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,774 of 15,516
More affordable than 63% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,996 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.8×, Columbia City sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,774 of 15,516 and #4,996 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$65,000Columbia City, IN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Columbia City, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Columbia City, IN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)24.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
9,975
Median Income
$65,000
Median Home Value
$184,300
Median Age
36.4
Poverty Rate
12.9%
Labor force participation
61.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
991.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
127.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
863.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
49.5°F
Annual Precipitation
39.1"
Annual Snowfall
21.4"
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Columbia City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
9,968 residents
2021
10,012 residents
2022
10,096 residents
2023
10,153 residents
2024
10,189 residents
2025
10,256 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
49
housing units authorized
Single-Family
25
detached homes
Multifamily
24
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
64
64
0
$11.8M
2020
30
30
0
$8.2M
2021
57
57
0
$16.3M
2022
29
27
2
$9.0M
2023
31
29
2
$10.4M
2024
49
25
24
$11.9M
Permit volume decreased 23% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
87.5%
Carpool
4.4%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
5.6%
Other
1.4%
Based on 4,766 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Indiana statewide averages, not a meter reading for Columbia City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Columbia City is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Indiana statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Columbia City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Columbia City compares to similar-size Indiana cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.