Columbia County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Arkansas has a population of 22,349 across 766 square miles, down 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.31 bn in 2024, 535 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $16.4 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Columbia County
How many people live in Columbia County
- Population22,349
- Households8,409
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$55,334
- Median age34.2
- Median gross rent$649 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,100
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,977
- Population under 184,796
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,905
- Share 65 and over17.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,648
- Civilian labor force9,995
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.9 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties28th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1758th
Columbia County is the 28th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 17.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Columbia County
Is Columbia County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.39 percent
- Census 2020 base population22,796
- Births, 2024213
- Deaths, 2024332
- Natural change, 2024-119
- Net domestic migration, 2024-82
- Net international migration, 202431
- Total net migration, 2024-51
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-446
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2804th
The county has lost 3.39 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Columbia County
Where people moving to Columbia County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving357
- People arriving, from those returns696
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$43,622
- Largest single originColumbia County Non-migrants (7,054 households)
- Largest single destination (7,054 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County Non-migrants | 7,054 | 14,749 | $439.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 143 | 277 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 143 | 277 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 122 | 228 | $5.8 m |
| Lafayette County | 28 | 51 | $1.0 m |
| Webster Parish | 22 | 53 | $493,000 |
| Ouachita County | 21 | 54 | $590,000 |
| Union County | 21 | 33 | $884,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Columbia County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Columbia County
What the Columbia County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.9 percent
- GDP change over five years44.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties26th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1625th
- GDP per resident$58,458
Output grew 1.9 percent in the latest year and 44.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Columbia County
Who employs people in Columbia County
- Covered employment, annual average8,106
- Establishments reporting622
- Average annual pay$49,212
- Average weekly wage$946
- Sector 31-33, employment1,976
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$76,225
- Sector 44-45, employment933
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$28,765
- Sector 72, employment810
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,308
- Sector 21, employment307
- Sector 21, average annual pay$77,613
- Sector 52, employment290
- Sector 56, employment222
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,976 | 26 | $76,225 |
| Sector 44-45 | 933 | 92 | $28,765 |
| Sector 72 | 810 | 51 | $18,308 |
| Sector 21 | 307 | 22 | $77,613 |
| Sector 52 | 290 | 41 | $70,052 |
| Sector 56 | 222 | 21 | $27,052 |
| Sector 42 | 182 | 29 | $64,473 |
| Sector 48-49 | 168 | 33 | $50,911 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,976 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Columbia County
What businesses operate in Columbia County
- Establishments, all industries535
- Employment at those establishments6,677
- Annual payroll$326.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Columbia County
What is being built in Columbia County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202414
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorised14
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$111,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Columbia County
How much SBA lending happens in Columbia County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,488,009
- Median 7(a) approval$1,078,000
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,369,300
- Largest single approval$4,035,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)96
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer45.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (5)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (6)
The average approval of $1,488,009 sits close to the median of $1,078,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 45.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
Do SBA loans in Columbia County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
Which parts of Columbia County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- MAGNOLIA, approvals6
- WALDO, approvals4
- STEPHENS, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MAGNOLIA | 6 | $4,964,800 |
| WALDO | 4 | $7,368,300 |
| STEPHENS | 1 | $4,035,000 |
MAGNOLIA accounts for 6 approvals against 4 in WALDO. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
How big is Columbia County
- Land area766 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties20th of 75
- Width, east to west29.7 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.70
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Columbia County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Columbia County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population22,349
- Households8,409
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$55,334
- Median age34.2
Common questions
Columbia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbia County, Arkansas?
22,349, in 8,409 households, ranking 28th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbia County growing?
The population has fallen 3.39 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 213 births against 332 deaths, with net migration of -51. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$55,334. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,100, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $649 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Columbia County?
535 establishments, employing 6,677 people with an annual payroll of $326.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Columbia County?
Average annual pay is $49,212, or $946 a week, across 8,106 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Columbia County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $16.4 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $1,078,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Columbia County?
14 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Columbia County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Columbia County come from?
The largest single origin is Columbia County Non-migrants, with 7,054 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,622 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Columbia County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Columbia County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.