HomeWashingtonColumbia County
Columbia County, Washington: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Washington has a population of 4,014 across 869 square miles, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $498.1 m in 2024, 107 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $5.1 m.
106 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Columbia County
How many people live in Columbia County
- Population4,014
- Households1,862
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$71,810
- Median age49.6
- Median gross rent$985 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$271,200
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,058
- Population under 18723
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,177
- Share 65 and over29.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,114
- Civilian labor force1,834
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.7 percent
- Rank by population among Washington counties38th of 39
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2963rd
Columbia County is the 38th largest of 39 Washington counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.3 percent against 18.0 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 base1.80 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,954
- Births, 202436
- Deaths, 202452
- Natural change, 2024-16
- Net domestic migration, 2024-19
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024-15
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024180
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1241st
The county has grown 1.80 percent 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 arriving136
- People arriving, from those returns232
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,912
- Largest single originColumbia County Non-migrants (1,440 households)
- Largest single destination (1,440 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County Non-migrants | 1,440 | 2,845 | $119.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 60 | 102 | $3.5 m |
| Walla Walla County | 49 | 82 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 27 | 48 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 27 | 48 | $1.7 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$498.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$495.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.5 percent
- GDP change over five years43.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Washington counties35th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2410th
- GDP per resident$124,091
Output grew 0.5 percent in the latest year and 43.3 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 average1,495
- Establishments reporting184
- Average annual pay$67,059
- Average weekly wage$1,290
- Sector 23, employment127
- Sector 23, average annual pay$108,944
- Sector 11, employment125
- Sector 11, average annual pay$42,328
- Sector 44-45, employment97
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,024
- Sector 31-33, employment38
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$48,719
- Sector 81, employment22
- Sector 52, employment16
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 127 | 18 | $108,944 |
| Sector 11 | 125 | 42 | $42,328 |
| Sector 44-45 | 97 | 13 | $29,024 |
| Sector 31-33 | 38 | 6 | $48,719 |
| Sector 81 | 22 | 12 | $44,603 |
| Sector 52 | 16 | 5 | $35,933 |
| Sector 42 | 14 | 7 | $46,686 |
| Sector 51 | 8 | 3 | $13,132 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 127 jobs, 8.5 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 industries107
- Employment at those establishments903
- Annual payroll$43.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.7
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, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorised7
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$255,186
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.8
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$5.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$466,364
- Median 7(a) approval$345,200
- 10th percentile approval$43,100
- 90th percentile approval$1,250,000
- Largest single approval$1,579,400
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)78
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderBanner Bank (3)
The average approval of $466,364 sits close to the median of $345,200, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 27.3 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.
Columbia County
Do SBA loans in Columbia County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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 lending2
- DAYTON, approvals10
- KIRKLAND, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DAYTON | 10 | $3,880,000 |
| KIRKLAND | 1 | $1,250,000 |
DAYTON accounts for 10 approvals against 1 in KIRKLAND. 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 area869 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Washington counties31st of 39
- Width, east to west30.5 mi
- Height, north to south43.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land5
- Establishments per square mile0.12
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.
- Population4,014
- Households1,862
- Average household size2.16
- Median household income$71,810
- Median age49.6
Common questions
Columbia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbia County, Washington?
4,014, in 1,862 households, ranking 38th of 39 Washington counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbia County growing?
The population has grown 1.80 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 36 births against 52 deaths, with net migration of -15. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$71,810. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $271,200, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $985 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Columbia County?
107 establishments, employing 903 people with an annual payroll of $43.5 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 $67,059, or $1,290 a week, across 1,495 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 $5.1 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $345,200. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Columbia County?
7 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.8 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 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 1,440 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,912 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.