Columbia County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Arkansas had an estimated 22,024 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 22,796, across 766 square miles. County output reached $1.31 bn in 2024, 535 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $16.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Columbia County
How many people live in Columbia County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,349
- Households8,409
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$55,334
- Median age34.2
- Median gross rent$649 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,100
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,977
- Population under 184,796
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,905
- Share 65 and over17.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,648
- Civilian labor force9,995
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.9 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties28th of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1758th of 3,222
Columbia County is the 28th largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 17.5 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202422,024
- Census 2020 base population22,796
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.39 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-169
- Births, 2024213
- Deaths, 2024332
- Natural change, 2024-119
- Net domestic migration, 2024-82
- Net international migration, 202431
- Total net migration, 2024-51
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-446
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2804th of 3,144
The county has lost 3.39 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Columbia County
Where are people moving to Columbia County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving357
- People arriving, from those returns696
- Tax returns filed by households leaving485
- Net household movement-128
- Adjusted gross income arriving$15.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-8.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$43,622
- Average income of a leaving household$49,344
- Largest single originLafayette County (28 households)
- Largest single destinationLafayette County (37 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County | 28 | 51 | $1.0 m |
| Webster Parish | 22 | 53 | $493,000 |
| Ouachita County | 21 | 54 | $590,000 |
| Union County | 21 | 33 | $884,000 |
Households arriving report $5,722 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Lafayette County, 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 is the Columbia County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.9 percent
- GDP change over five years44.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Arkansas areas BEA publishes26th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1625th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$58,458
Output grew 1.9 percent in the latest year and 44.8 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
Employment by industry in Columbia County
- Covered employment, annual average8,106
- Establishments reporting622
- Average annual pay$49,212
- Average weekly wage$946
- Manufacturing, employment1,976
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$76,225
- Retail trade, employment933
- Retail trade, average annual pay$28,765
- Accommodation and food services, employment810
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,308
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment307
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$77,613
- Finance and insurance, employment290
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment222
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,976 | 26 | $76,225 |
| Retail trade | 933 | 92 | $28,765 |
| Accommodation and food services | 810 | 51 | $18,308 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 307 | 22 | $77,613 |
| Finance and insurance | 290 | 41 | $70,052 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 222 | 21 | $27,052 |
| Wholesale trade | 182 | 29 | $64,473 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 168 | 33 | $50,911 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,976 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Columbia County
How many businesses are in Columbia County?
- Establishments, all industries535
- Employment at those establishments6,677
- Annual payroll$326.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Columbia County
Building permits in Columbia County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202414
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorized14
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$111,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.7
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Columbia County
SBA loans in Columbia County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,488,009
- Median 7(a) approval$1,078,000
- Largest single approval$4,035,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)96
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer45.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (5)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (6)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Columbia County
Do SBA loans in Columbia County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled4
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
SBA lending by place in Columbia County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Magnolia, approvals6
- Waldo, approvals4
- Stephens, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Magnolia | 6 | $4,964,800 |
| Waldo | 4 | $7,368,300 |
| Stephens | 1 | $4,035,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Columbia County
How large is Columbia County?
- Land area766 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties20th of 75
- Width, east to west29.7 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land29
- Establishments per square mile0.70
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
Flood risk in Columbia County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Columbia County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050425
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Columbia County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Columbia County (community 050425), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Columbia County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 80.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,349
- Households8,409
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$55,334
- Median age34.2
Common questions
Columbia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Columbia County, Arkansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 22,024 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 22,349, in 8,409 households, ranking 28th of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Columbia County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.39 percent since the 2020 census base of 22,796, to 22,024 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 213 births against 332 deaths, with net migration of -51. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$55,334. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,100, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $649 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Columbia County?
535 establishments, employing 6,677 people with an annual payroll of $326.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Columbia County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,976 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 8,106 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,212, or $946 a week. 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 totaling $16.4 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $1,078,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Columbia County?
14 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 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 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Lafayette County, with 28 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,622 against $49,344 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Columbia County
Cities and places in Columbia.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Columbia County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia | city | 10,894 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Waldo | city | 1,144 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Taylor | city | 593 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McNeil | city | 419 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Emerson | town | 239 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 11 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Columbia County, the largest being Stephens (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.