Columbia, PA
Census place 4215384 · pop 10,278
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
83.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.90% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
21.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
17.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$54,437 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
52.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
50 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$196,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,316/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Columbia: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Columbia, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Columbia scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is broadband access. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Columbia, PA expensive to live in?
- Columbia has a median home value of $196,500 and typical rent around $1,316/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Columbia, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (83.6%) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Columbia, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.8%) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.