State
County
Land Area (mi²)
216.5 sq mi
Density (mi²)
919.10/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.81%
Growth Since 2010
4.78%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
326,722
Columbus is a city located in Muscogee County Georgia. It is also the county seat of Muscogee County. With a 2020 population of 198,969, it is the 3rd largest city in Georgia (after Atlanta and Augusta) and the 124th largest city in the United States . Columbus is currently growing at a rate of 0.81% annually and its population has increased by 4.78% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 189,885 in 2010. Columbus reached it's highest population of 203,225 in 2013. Spanning over 221 miles, Columbus has a population density of 919 people per square mile.
The average household income in Columbus is $65,942 with a poverty rate of 20.67%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $906 per month, and the median house value is $141,300. The median age in Columbus is 34 years, 32.4 years for males, and 36.2 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Columbus was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 326,722 | 2,837 | 0.87% |
| 2020 | 323,885 | 2,837 | 0.88% |
| 2019 | 321,048 | 2,837 | 0.88% |
| 2018 | 318,211 | 2,269 | 0.71% |
| 2017 | 315,942 | -3,098 | -0.98% |
| 2016 | 319,040 | -3,732 | -1.17% |
| 2015 | 322,772 | -2,501 | -0.77% |
| 2014 | 325,273 | -2,571 | -0.79% |
| 2013 | 327,844 | 5,123 | 1.56% |
| 2012 | 322,721 | 7,416 | 2.30% |
| 2011 | 315,305 | 5,829 | 1.85% |
| 2010 | 309,476 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 90,580 | 46.28% |
| White | 84,841 | 43.34% |
| Two or More Races | 9,037 | 4.62% |
| Some Other Race | 5,341 | 2.73% |
| Asian | 4,840 | 2.47% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 824 | 0.42% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 276 | 0.14% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 72,759 | 2.59 | 48 |
| Non Family | 27,958 | 1.2 | 38.4 |
| Married | 27,699 | 3.32 | 64.9 |
| Female | 13,407 | 3.73 | 36.2 |
| Male | 3,695 | 3.56 | 36.8 |
3.38
Average Family Size
2.59
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 4,593 | 3.61% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 10,604 | 8.34% |
| High School Graduate | 34,791 | 27.36% |
| Some College | 32,704 | 25.72% |
| Associates Degree | 11,698 | 9.20% |
| Bachelors Degree | 19,507 | 15.34% |
| Graduate Degree | 13,244 | 10.42% |
| Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 57,777 | 49,201 | 9,790 |
| White | 55,634 | 50,967 | 18,882 |
| Hispanic | 8,286 | 6,947 | 1,578 |
| Asian | 3,404 | 2,985 | 1,485 |
| Other Race | 3,358 | 2,521 | 465 |
| 2+ Races | 2,830 | 2,645 | 1,068 |
| Native American | 536 | 491 | 300 |
| Islander | 146 | 146 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 55.97%.
$32,902
Average Earnings
$42,172
Average Male
$26,862
Average Female
91.70% of Columbus residents speak only English, while 8.30% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.77% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 87,465 | 24,998 | 28.58% |
| White | 75,751 | 8,835 | 11.66% |
| Hispanic | 14,411 | 3,631 | 25.20% |
| Multiple | 8,864 | 2,088 | 23.56% |
| Other | 5,247 | 1,751 | 33.37% |
| Asian | 4,799 | 332 | 6.92% |
| Native | 811 | 133 | 16.40% |
| Islander | 268 | 26 | 9.70% |
20.67%
Overall Poverty Rate
19.13%
Male Poverty Rate
22.06%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Columbus is Other, with 33.37% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Columbus is Asian, with 6.92% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.55%. Among those working part-time, it was 25.33%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 28.17%.
39.5%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.4%
Male Marriage Rate
37.8%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 9,751 | 14.69% |
| White | 9,001 | 14.33% |
| Hispanic | 1,221 | 13.99% |
| Other Race | 456 | 13.59% |
| 2+ Races | 244 | 6.85% |
| Asian | 207 | 5.73% |
| Islander | 119 | 61.03% |
| Native American | 57 | 8.81% |
9.33%
Veteran Poverty Rate
35.37%
Veteran Disability Rate
60.6%
Labor Force Participation
51%
Employment Rate
9.2%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
94.66%
Native Born
5.34%
Foreign Born
2.28%
Non Citizen
3.06%
Naturalized
94.66% of Columbus residents were born in the United States, with 55.40% having been born in Georgia. 2.28% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 198,969 | 1,600 | 0.81% |
| 2020 | 197,369 | 1,600 | 0.82% |
| 2019 | 195,769 | 1,600 | 0.82% |
| 2018 | 194,169 | 333 | 0.17% |
| 2017 | 193,836 | -2,383 | -1.21% |
| 2016 | 196,219 | -2,483 | -1.25% |
| 2015 | 198,702 | -1,861 | -0.93% |
| 2014 | 200,563 | -2,662 | -1.31% |
| 2013 | 203,225 | 4,260 | 2.14% |
| 2012 | 198,965 | 3,694 | 1.89% |
| 2011 | 195,271 | 4,170 | 2.18% |
| 2010 | 191,101 | 5,320 | 0.28% |
| 2000 | 185,781 | 7,100 | 0.39% |
| 1990 | 178,681 | 9,240 | 0.53% |
| 1980 | 169,441 | 14,413 | 0.89% |
| 1970 | 155,028 | 38,249 | 2.87% |
| 1960 | 116,779 | 37,168 | 3.91% |
| 1950 | 79,611 | 26,331 | 4.10% |
| 1940 | 53,280 | 10,149 | 2.14% |
| 1930 | 43,131 | 12,006 | 3.32% |
| 1920 | 31,125 | 10,571 | 4.24% |
| 1910 | 20,554 | 2,940 | 1.56% |
| 1900 | 17,614 | 311 | 0.18% |
| 1890 | 17,303 | 7,180 | 5.51% |
| 1880 | 10,123 | 2,722 | 3.18% |
| 1870 | 7,401 | -2,220 | -2.59% |
| 1860 | 9,621 | 3,679 | 4.94% |
| 1850 | 5,942 | 2,828 | 6.67% |
| 1840 | 3,114 | 0.00% |