Columbia County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Florida has a population of 71,789 across 798 square miles, up 6.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.52 bn in 2024, 1,492 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 47 7(a) approvals worth $29.1 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Columbia County
How many people live in Columbia County
- Population71,789
- Households27,430
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$59,205
- Median age40.7
- Median gross rent$976 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$194,900
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over50,225
- Population under 1815,907
- Share under 1822.2 percent
- Population 65 and over14,552
- Share 65 and over20.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,330
- Civilian labor force31,216
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.9 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties41st of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents776th
Columbia County is the 41st largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.2 percent against 20.3 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 base6.14 percent
- Census 2020 base population69,698
- Births, 2024739
- Deaths, 20241,006
- Natural change, 2024-267
- Net domestic migration, 2024514
- Net international migration, 2024404
- Total net migration, 2024918
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,333
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents390th
The county has grown 6.14 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving2,273
- People arriving, from those returns4,146
- Adjusted gross income arriving$118.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,194
- Largest single originColumbia County Non-migrants (23,297 households)
- Largest single destination (23,297 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County Non-migrants | 23,297 | 46,899 | $1.38 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 640 | 1,194 | $37.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 332 | 620 | $17.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 309 | 567 | $16.9 m |
| Alachua County | 254 | 468 | $13.1 m |
| Suwannee County | 212 | 408 | $9.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 138 | 274 | $8.6 m |
| Duval County | 113 | 222 | $5.9 m |
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$3.52 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.42 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.2 percent
- GDP change over five years42.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties40th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents890th
- GDP per resident$49,072
Output grew 3.2 percent in the latest year and 42.2 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 average24,644
- Establishments reporting1,818
- Average annual pay$51,261
- Average weekly wage$986
- Sector 44-45, employment3,807
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,717
- Sector 62, employment3,617
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,682
- Sector 72, employment2,721
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,987
- Sector 31-33, employment2,313
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,953
- Sector 23, employment1,256
- Sector 48-49, employment933
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 3,807 | 317 | $39,717 |
| Sector 62 | 3,617 | 276 | $50,682 |
| Sector 72 | 2,721 | 161 | $24,987 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,313 | 65 | $62,953 |
| Sector 23 | 1,256 | 193 | $53,633 |
| Sector 48-49 | 933 | 48 | $55,862 |
| Sector 56 | 802 | 89 | $42,927 |
| Sector 54 | 716 | 143 | $80,173 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,807 jobs, 15.4 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 industries1,492
- Employment at those establishments20,689
- Annual payroll$1.06 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.8
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, 2024178
- Declared construction value permitted$43.5 m
- Single family units authorised174
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units2.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$244,119
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 2.2 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 recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$618,309
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,450,000
- Largest single approval$4,200,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)324
- Jobs per approval6.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active24
- Distinct industries receiving approvals35
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter30
- Franchise loans9
- Franchise share of approvals19.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (9)
- 504 approvals recorded31
- 504 gross approval dollars$11.9 m
- Average 504 approval$383,742
- Median 504 approval$312,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.5
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (23)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$41.0 m
The average approval of $618,309 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 23.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 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 recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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
- Lake City, approvals44
- FORT WHITE, approvals2
- White Springs, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lake City | 44 | $28,136,500 |
| FORT WHITE | 2 | $774,000 |
| White Springs | 1 | $150,000 |
Lake City accounts for 44 approvals against 2 in FORT WHITE. 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 area798 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties25th of 67
- Width, east to west20.4 mi
- Height, north to south53 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land90
- Establishments per square mile1.87
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.
Columbia County
What hazards affect Columbia County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population71,789
- Households27,430
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$59,205
- Median age40.7
Common questions
Columbia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbia County, Florida?
71,789, in 27,430 households, ranking 41st of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbia County growing?
The population has grown 6.14 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 739 births against 1,006 deaths, with net migration of 918. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$59,205. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $194,900, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $976 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Columbia County?
1,492 establishments, employing 20,689 people with an annual payroll of $1.06 bn. 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 $51,261, or $986 a week, across 24,644 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?
47 7(a) approvals totalling $29.1 m since FY2020, across 24 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 31 504 approvals worth $11.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Columbia County?
178 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $43.5 m. Multifamily was 2.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Columbia County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 23,297 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,194 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.