County · Pennsylvania

Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Columbia County had 66,193 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.3% since 2020, faster than Pennsylvania (+0.4%). It holds 58 places (10 cities, villages and boroughs, 24 towns and townships and 24 census-designated) and 16 census tracts. GEOID 42037.

Columbia County is the county of the Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

66,193

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 64,727 · ACS 2020-2024: 65,362

Median household income

$64,644

±$2,531 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $77,971

Median home value

$206,200

±$5,897 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $254,500

Median gross rent

$943

±$35 (90% margin)
Pennsylvania: $1,209

How many people live in Columbia County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 64,727 residents in Columbia County. The Census Bureau estimates 66,193 for July 1, 2025, up 2.3% since 2020, faster than Pennsylvania (+0.4%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 65,362 over 483 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +300 (64,981)
2021→2022 +377 (65,358)
2022→2023 +410 (65,768)
2023→2024 +229 (65,997)
2024→2025 +196 (66,193)

Columbia County in Pennsylvania. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Columbia County	Pennsylvania	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	65,362	13,018,639	−353
Households	26,350±358	5,274,853	no clear change
Average household size	2.33±0.03	2.39	no clear change
Housing units	29,824±70	5,806,452	−351

Columbia County's population since 2000

From 64,151 in 2000 to 66,193 in 2025: up 3.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 64,151
2005 (estimate) 65,535
2010 Census 67,295
2015 (estimate) 66,704
2020 Census 64,727
2025 (estimate) 66,193

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Columbia County?

Columbia County holds 58 places: 10 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 24 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 24 census-designated places. The largest is Bloomsburg with 13,375 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Columbia County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Bloomsburg	town	12,711	13,024±40	$51,536	$179,100	26.5%	100%
Berwick	borough	10,327	10,317±33	$49,800	$156,500	16.5%	100%
Scott Township, Columbia County	township	5,514	5,583±42	$85,368	$234,100	6.3%	100%
Briar Creek Township	township	2,982	3,000±17	$77,333	$189,500	6.0%	100%
Mifflin Township, Columbia County	township	2,269	2,149±251	$61,250	$223,400	10.7%	100%
Hemlock Township	township	2,214	2,396±346	$89,091	$278,100	14.0%	100%
North Centre Township	township	2,036	1,866±210	$76,591	$231,300	5.3%	100%
South Centre Township	township	1,904	1,968±360	$65,045	$174,200	19.5%	100%
Greenwood Township, Columbia County	township	1,881	1,846±237	$68,167	$218,700	9.6%	100%
Espy	CDP	1,620	1,624±278	$79,038	$166,900	2.3%	100%
Madison Township, Columbia County	township	1,564	1,783±241	$76,500	$268,800	14.8%	100%
Catawissa	borough	1,536	1,536±187	$51,992	$145,900	16.4%	100%
Fishing Creek Township	township	1,523	1,361±177	$81,932	$263,100	7.2%	100%
Mount Pleasant Township, Columbia County	township	1,498	1,605±194	$91,875	$277,000	2.7%	100%
Locust Township	township	1,458	1,304±194	$72,292	$235,400	2.1%	100%
Benton Township, Columbia County	township	1,323	1,344±241	$73,664	$209,900	6.2%	100%
Main Township	township	1,271	1,410±292	$70,893	$225,800	13.8%	100%
Montour Township	township	1,263	1,129±179	$68,203	$231,100	9.5%	100%
Mifflinville	CDP	1,233	1,193±290	$48,173	$215,300	15.3%	100%
Orange Township	township	1,161	1,097±206	$96,750	$299,300	3.3%	100%
Cleveland Township	township	1,120	1,185±202	$71,923	$248,000	12.7%	100%
Lightstreet	CDP	1,098	1,156±245	$70,739	$168,400	10.2%	100%
Almedia	CDP	1,040	1,271±292	$67,361	$194,000	21.6%	100%
Pine Township, Columbia County	township	1,011	850±142	$55,667	$231,800	9.6%	100%
Millville	borough	976	943±188	$65,469	$218,100	21.8%	100%
Catawissa Township	township	902	891±162	$66,648	$271,100	3.6%	100%
Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County	township	887	1,193±224	$67,857	$223,000	6.7%	100%
Beaver Township, Columbia County	township	876	1,001±154	$84,167	$214,200	6.8%	100%
Lime Ridge	CDP	823	842±233	$63,148	$208,100	18.3%	100%
Benton	borough	823	485±136	$34,500	$168,400	26.2%	100%
Conyngham Township, Columbia County	township	689	815±194	$44,141	$117,900	20.1%	100%
Jackson Township, Columbia County	township	622	655±118	$62,500	$226,400	12.8%	100%
Briar Creek	borough	597	828±388	$42,647	$160,400	39.8%	100%
Roaring Creek Township	township	556	683±198	$97,708	$198,400	2.6%	100%
Franklin Township, Columbia County	township	550	524±97	$61,607	$238,100	5.6%	100%
FernvilleGEOID 4225744	CDP	481	456±157	$68,750	$275,000	18.9%	100%
Orangeville	borough	479	421±109	$63,854	$183,600	4.1%	100%
BuckhornGEOID 4209792	CDP	332	646±264	$59,531	$277,600	38.7%	100%
NumidiaGEOID 4255792	CDP	274	307±94	$54,643	$221,900	1.0%	100%
FoundryvilleGEOID 4226984	CDP	260	360±200	$158,008	$123,400	1.4%	100%
AristesGEOID 4202968	CDP	256	246±80	not published	$150,000	13.8%	100%
Wilburton Number OneGEOID 4285076	CDP	223	413±179	not published	$159,400	18.6%	100%
Stillwater	borough	199	169±46	$85,000	$186,100	2.4%	100%
JerseytownGEOID 4238152	CDP	175	154±60	not published	$195,600	10.4%	100%
IolaGEOID 4237024	CDP	154	179±105	not published	$191,300	36.9%	100%
RupertGEOID 4266696	CDP	154	164±75	not published	$173,600	8.5%	100%
RohrsburgGEOID 4265872	CDP	150	127±64	$62,500	$217,300	5.5%	100%
SlabtownGEOID 4271056	CDP	145	62±28	$121,875	$191,100	0.0%	100%
MainvilleGEOID 4246720	CDP	134	115±81	$36,250	$158,000	39.1%	100%
Jonestown, Columbia CountyGEOID 4238392	CDP	115	36±25	not published	$241,700	16.7%	100%
Jamison CityGEOID 4237728	CDP	111	260±120	$82,083	$203,600	13.5%	100%
Eyers GroveGEOID 4224448	CDP	102	125±76	$43,750	$142,000	5.6%	100%
LocustdaleGEOID 4244224	CDP	171	133±70	$24,813	$41,400	32.3%	59%
Wilburton Number TwoGEOID 4285078	CDP	54	33±15	$68,750	$60,000	30.3%	100%
WallerGEOID 4280656	CDP	45	72±51	not published	$213,900	38.9%	100%
Elk GroveGEOID 4223112	CDP	–	37±24	$41,250	$212,500	13.5%	35%
CentraliaGEOID 4212312	borough	5	1±3	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Ashland	borough	2,471	2,324±341	$52,708	$58,800	17.4%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Columbia County?

The median resident of Columbia County is 41.0 years old; 17.6% are under 18 and 20.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.1%. 2.8% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Columbia County	Pennsylvania	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	41.0±0.4	40.9	no clear change
Under 18 years	17.6%	20.4%	–
65 years and over	20.3%±0.1 pts	19.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4.1%	8.7%	+1.3 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	90.5%±0.6 pts	73.0%	−2.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.7%±0.3 pts	10.3%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.1 pts	3.8%	−0.4 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.3%±0.6 pts	3.6%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.5%±0.4 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	2.8%±0.7 pts	7.7%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	3.1%±0.5 pts	12.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	6.2%±0.5 pts	6.1%	–
With a disability	15.1%±0.9 pts	14.4%	–
No health insurance coverage	4.0%±0.7 pts	5.6%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	92.6%±0.8 pts	92.1%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	26.6%±1.6 pts	35.2%	+3.7 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	10.8%±1.2 pts	14.3%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.1%±0.3 pts	1.9%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Columbia County earn?

Half of Columbia County's 26,350 households earn less than $64,644 a year (±$2,531), against $77,971 in Pennsylvania. In 2015-2019 it was $62,212 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Columbia County	Pennsylvania	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$64,644±$2,531	$77,971	no clear change
Mean household income	$81,045±$2,508	$107,538	–
Per capita income	$33,218±$1,046	$44,355	no clear change
People below the poverty line	13.7%±1.4 pts	11.7%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	12.9%±3.2 pts	15.6%	−5.0 pts
Households receiving SNAP	10.7%±1.2 pts	14.4%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	87.8%±1.1 pts	89.7%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Columbia County?

Owners occupy 69.5% of Columbia County's occupied homes and renters 30.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $206,200 by its owner (±$5,897). The median renter pays $943 a month including utilities, and 32.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Columbia County	Pennsylvania	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$206,200±$5,897	$254,500	+$19,504
Median gross rent	$943±$35	$1,209	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	32.0%±4.4 pts	39.5%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,445±$45	$1,762	–
Owner-occupied homes	69.5%±1.7 pts	69.3%	no clear change
Housing units	29,824±70	5,806,452	−351
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.5%±0.3 pts	0.8%	–
Rental vacancy rate	2.8%±1.8 pts	4.9%	–
Single-family detached homes	69.2%±1.6 pts	56.6%	–
Mobile homes	8.1%±0.9 pts	3.5%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.5%±0.2 pts	1.0%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	24.4%±1.9 pts	25.0%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Columbia County building?

Builders took permits for 111 new housing units across Columbia County in 2025 (106 single-family), 1.7 per 1,000 residents.

2019 81 units
2020 59 units
2021 142 units
2022 100 units
2023 72 units
2024 68 units
2025 111 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Columbia County get to work?

75.7% of Columbia County's workers drive alone and 12.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.0%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Columbia County	Pennsylvania	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	59.1%±1.5 pts	62.7%	–
Unemployment rate	6.0%±1.1 pts	5.3%	+1.4 pts
Drove alone to work	75.7%±1.7 pts	68.2%	–
Carpooled	7.2%±1.2 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	0.1%±0.1 pts	3.6%	–
Walked	3.2%±0.8 pts	3.3%	–
Worked from home	12.9%±1.4 pts	15.6%	+8.8 pts
Mean travel time to work	21.7 min±0.7	26.3 min	−1.1 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Columbia County's census tracts?

Columbia County is divided into 16 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $43,367 (Tract 512) to $86,993 (Tract 503).

Census tracts of Columbia County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 50142037050100	Benton (11%)	5,377	5,207±258	$69,015	$224,500	$907	9.1%
Tract 50242037050200	Millville (9%)	5,432	5,422±347	$67,727	$238,100	$766	13.3%
Tract 50342037050300	Fernville (7%)	4,975	5,130±301	$86,993	$266,200	$1,093	9.5%
Tract 50442037050400	Orangeville (8%)	3,982	3,733±267	$77,448	$227,800	$1,166	5.0%
Tract 50542037050500	Briar Creek (18%)	3,645	3,914±391	$68,843	$182,000	$810	12.7%
Tract 50642037050600	Berwick	5,202	4,890±461	$49,675	$157,200	$758	12.8%
Tract 50742037050700	Berwick	5,125	5,427±460	$50,150	$155,100	$799	19.8%
Tract 50842037050800	Espy (47%)	3,483	3,737±317	$68,735	$178,900	$1,108	12.5%
Tract 50942037050900	Lightstreet (20%)	3,563	3,379±306	$86,397	$300,800	$1,688	7.0%
Tract 51042037051000	Bloomsburg	2,495	2,641±336	$65,664	$169,000	$1,189	13.0%
Tract 511.0142037051101	Bloomsburg	3,434	3,316±354	$52,700	$224,600	$1,016	24.5%
Tract 511.0242037051102	Bloomsburg	2,505	3,273±393	$53,553	$163,600	$949	49.4%
Tract 51242037051200	Bloomsburg	4,277	3,794±449	$43,367	$198,800	$919	24.2%
Tract 51342037051300	Catawissa (61%)	3,038	3,115±316	$57,367	$207,900	$825	11.9%
Tract 51442037051400	Mifflinville (35%)	2,502	2,396±231	$61,042	$223,700	$1,054	12.5%
Tract 51542037051500	Centralia (6%)	5,692	5,988±352	$71,555	$208,000	$893	8.3%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Columbia County compare with Pennsylvania's other counties?

Columbia County's rank among Pennsylvania's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	39th of 67
Growth 2020-2025	13th of 67
Residents per square mile	36th of 67
Median household income	40th of 67
Median home value	32nd of 67
Median gross rent	28th of 67
Poverty rate	14th of 67
Bachelor's degree or higher	25th of 67
Median age	52nd of 67

Every county in Pennsylvania

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Columbia County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.