HomeWashingtonColumbia County
Columbia County, Washington: commercial real estate data.
Columbia County, Washington had an estimated 4,025 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,954, across 869 square miles. 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 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 2020-20244,014
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2963rd of 3,222
Columbia County is the 38th largest of 39 Washington counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable 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 story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Columbia County
Is Columbia County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20244,025
- Census 2020 base population3,954
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.80 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-30
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 1.80 percent 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 arriving136
- People arriving, from those returns232
- Tax returns filed by households leaving112
- Net household movement24
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-397,000
- Average income of an arriving household$56,912
- Average income of a leaving household$72,652
- Largest single originWalla Walla County (49 households)
- Largest single destinationWalla Walla County (36 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla County | 49 | 82 | $2.6 m |
Households arriving report $15,740 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Walla Walla 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$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 the Washington areas BEA publishes35th of 39
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2410th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Columbia County
- Covered employment, annual average1,495
- Establishments reporting184
- Average annual pay$67,059
- Average weekly wage$1,290
- Construction, employment127
- Construction, average annual pay$108,944
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment125
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$42,328
- Retail trade, employment97
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,024
- Manufacturing, employment38
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$48,719
- Other services, except public administration, employment22
- Finance and insurance, employment16
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 127 | 18 | $108,944 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 125 | 42 | $42,328 |
| Retail trade | 97 | 13 | $29,024 |
| Manufacturing | 38 | 6 | $48,719 |
| Other services, except public administration | 22 | 12 | $44,603 |
| Finance and insurance | 16 | 5 | $35,933 |
| Wholesale trade | 14 | 7 | $46,686 |
| Information | 8 | 3 | $13,132 |
Construction is the largest private sector at 127 jobs, 8.5 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 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. 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, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$1.8 m
- Single family units authorized7
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$255,186
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.8
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$5.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$466,364
- Median 7(a) approval$345,200
- 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)
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 recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Only 2 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 lending2
- Dayton, approvals10
- Kirkland, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Dayton | 10 | $3,880,000 |
| Kirkland | 1 | $1,250,000 |
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 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 boundary6
- 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.
Columbia County
Flood risk in Columbia County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Columbia County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 530029
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Columbia County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Columbia County (community 530029), 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 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 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 2020-20244,014
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 4,025 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 1.80 percent since the 2020 census base of 3,954, to 4,025 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Columbia County?
Construction is the largest private sector at 127 jobs, 8.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,495 jobs at an average annual pay of $67,059, or $1,290 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 $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.
How many building permits were issued in Columbia County?
7 housing units were authorized 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 Walla Walla County, with 49 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,912 against $72,652 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.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Columbia County. All 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | city | 2,774 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Starbuck | town | 93 | 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 Kirkland (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.