HomePennsylvaniaColumbia County
Columbia County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Pennsylvania has a population of 65,362 across 483 square miles, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.28 bn in 2024, 1,428 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 37 7(a) approvals worth $11.2 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Columbia County
How many people live in Columbia County
- Population65,362
- Households26,350
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$64,644
- Median age41.0
- Median gross rent$943 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$206,200
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over44,011
- Population under 1811,483
- Share under 1817.6 percent
- Population 65 and over13,294
- Share 65 and over20.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6440,585
- Civilian labor force32,666
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties39th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents841st
Columbia County is the 39th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.3 percent against 17.6 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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 base1.99 percent
- Census 2020 base population64,722
- Births, 2024574
- Deaths, 2024758
- Natural change, 2024-184
- Net domestic migration, 2024258
- Net international migration, 2024157
- Total net migration, 2024415
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,936
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1171st
The county has grown 1.99 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 arriving1,441
- People arriving, from those returns2,430
- Adjusted gross income arriving$78.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$54,586
- Largest single originColumbia County Non-migrants (24,718 households)
- Largest single destination (24,718 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County Non-migrants | 24,718 | 47,422 | $1.72 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 401 | 675 | $25.4 m |
| Luzerne County | 320 | 561 | $15.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 257 | 410 | $15.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 163 | 286 | $8.8 m |
| Northumberland County | 140 | 245 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 139 | 231 | $8.7 m |
| Montour County | 112 | 194 | $5.7 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$3.28 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.15 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.0 percent
- GDP change over five years29.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Pennsylvania counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents922nd
- GDP per resident$50,128
Output grew 4.0 percent in the latest year and 29.5 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 average24,395
- Establishments reporting1,571
- Average annual pay$50,569
- Average weekly wage$972
- Sector 31-33, employment3,821
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,243
- Sector 44-45, employment3,220
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,102
- Sector 62, employment2,847
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,146
- Sector 72, employment2,514
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,369
- Sector 48-49, employment2,353
- Sector 55, employment1,202
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,821 | 74 | $65,243 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,220 | 228 | $32,102 |
| Sector 62 | 2,847 | 212 | $51,146 |
| Sector 72 | 2,514 | 166 | $19,369 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,353 | 55 | $51,129 |
| Sector 55 | 1,202 | 24 | $71,531 |
| Sector 23 | 918 | 131 | $67,610 |
| Sector 54 | 883 | 83 | $59,963 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,821 jobs, 15.7 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 industries1,428
- Employment at those establishments22,886
- Annual payroll$1.03 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.8
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, 202468
- Declared construction value permitted$22.1 m
- Single family units authorised68
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$324,642
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.6
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 recorded37
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$302,224
- Median 7(a) approval$74,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$3,250,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)229
- Jobs per approval6.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter32
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals2.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countNew Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (4)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (17)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$12.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,135,273
- Median 504 approval$867,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.4
- Most active CDCSEDA-COG Local Development Corporation (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$23.7 m
The average approval of $302,224 sits well above the median of $74,000, 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 8.1 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: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure23
- Status: Cancelled5
- 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 lending8
- Bloomsburg, approvals18
- Catawissa, approvals6
- MILLVILLE, approvals4
- Berwick, approvals3
- STILLWATER, approvals2
- BENTON, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomsburg | 18 | $2,926,000 |
| Catawissa | 6 | $906,100 |
| MILLVILLE | 4 | $74,500 |
| Berwick | 3 | $5,788,800 |
| STILLWATER | 2 | $256,700 |
| BENTON | 2 | $187,000 |
| Mifflinville | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| ORANGEVILLE | 1 | $43,200 |
Bloomsburg accounts for 18 approvals against 6 in Catawissa. 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 area483 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties46th of 67
- Width, east to west22.6 mi
- Height, north to south36.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land135
- Establishments per square mile2.96
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 greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book33
- Of those, participating in the NFIP33
- 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 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, 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.
- Population65,362
- Households26,350
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$64,644
- Median age41.0
Common questions
Columbia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
65,362, in 26,350 households, ranking 39th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbia County growing?
The population has grown 1.99 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 574 births against 758 deaths, with net migration of 415. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$64,644. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $206,200, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $943 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Columbia County?
1,428 establishments, employing 22,886 people with an annual payroll of $1.03 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 $50,569, or $972 a week, across 24,395 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?
37 7(a) approvals totalling $11.2 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $74,000, plus 11 504 approvals worth $12.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Columbia County?
68 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $22.1 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 24,718 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,586 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.