Demographics of Columbus County, North Carolina

Columbus County, North Carolina had 50,487 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: 0 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Columbus County, in four figures

50,487
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; 0%
Change since July 2020: 0 people.; 42.6 ±0.5
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $49,442 ±$4,924
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Columbus County, North Carolina's population grew 0.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Columbus County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Columbus County, North Carolina's population grew 0.0% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Columbus County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	50,487	100.0	100.0
2021	50,021	99.1	100.2
2022	50,037	99.1	100.7
2023	50,249	99.5	101.6
2024	50,301	99.6	102.5
2025	50,487	100.0	103.1

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Population of Columbus County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	50,487	−143	−110	0	−42
2021	50,021	−466	−260	+8	−240
2022	50,037	+16	−321	+8	+338
2023	50,249	+212	−162	+26	+348
2024	50,301	+52	−212	+196	+70
2025	50,487	+186	−211	+126	+270

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 42.6 ±0.5: for men 41.3 ±0.6 and for women 44.4 ±0.7. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Columbus County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	2,721 ±188	5.4% ±0.4	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	7,613 ±403	15.2% ±0.8	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	4,263 ±368	8.5% ±0.7	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	11,963 ±447	23.9% ±0.9	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	13,204 ±577	26.3% ±1.2	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	10,376 ±543	20.7% ±1.1	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $49,442 ±$4,924, and income per person $27,773 ±$1,307, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Columbus County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	5,497 ±640	27.4% ±3.1	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	4,573 ±505	22.8% ±2.5	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	3,110 ±363	15.5% ±1.8	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	2,804 ±399	14.0% ±2.0	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	2,294 ±357	11.4% ±1.8	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	1,113 ±307	5.6% ±1.5	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	657 ±156	3.3% ±0.8	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Columbus County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	8,710 ±1,043	18.2% ±2.2	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	2,408 ±390	23.6% ±3.5	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	4,228 ±604	17.6% ±2.4	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	2,074 ±345	15.1% ±2.4	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Columbus County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Columbus County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	23,563 ±60	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	85.1% ±1.6	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	14.9% ±1.7	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	71.1% ±2.2	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	28.9% ±2.4	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$146,000 ±$11,896	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$824 ±$40	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1982 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Columbus County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2,831 ±0	5.6% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	29,364 ±155	58.6% ±0.3	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	14,048 ±340	28.0% ±0.7	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	249 ±106	0.5% ±0.2	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	1,534 ±124	3.1% ±0.2	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 82	0% to 0.2%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	47 to 205	0.1% to 0.4%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	1,949 ±412	3.9% ±0.8	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Columbus County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	37,422 ±827	74.6% ±1.6	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	10,859 ±738	21.7% ±1.5	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	84 to 302	0.2% to 0.6%	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	1,666 ±254	3.3% ±0.5	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	475 ±180	0.9% ±0.4	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	1,191 ±266	2.4% ±0.5	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Columbus County among the counties of North Carolina

52nd of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Columbus County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Granville County	61,421	+2.1%
Hoke County	56,939	+9.0%
Lenoir County	55,837	+1.4%
Watauga County	54,786	+0.6%
Duplin County	51,571	+6.0%
Columbus County	50,487	0%
Edgecombe County	49,121	+0.7%
Halifax County	46,534	−3.9%
Stokes County	46,126	+3.5%
Davie County	45,855	+6.9%
McDowell County	45,198	+1.4%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026