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Columbus, MS
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
23,348
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
41.1
years ∙ half population younger than 41.1, half older
Diversity Index
49.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
2.6%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Columbus is a city within Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC33.508208° N, 88.407128° W
DMS33° 30′ 29.55″ N, 88° 24′ 25.66″ W
Population Density & area
930.2/sq mi
(359.8/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
46%
male
Male
46%
Female
54%
males per 100 females
Columbus
85
Lowndes County
91.9
Mississippi
94.2
Nativity
2.6%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Columbus
2.6%
Lowndes County
2.4%
Mississippi
2.4%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
41.1
years ∙ half population younger than 41.1, half older
Dependency ratio
62.8
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Columbus
62.8
Lowndes County
69.8
Mississippi
68
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 18.1% | 23.8% | 23.3% |
| Working age (18-64) | 61.4% | 58.9% | 59.5% |
| Senior (65+) | 20.5% | 17.3% | 17.2% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 62.8 | 69.8 | 68 |
| Child dependency ratio | 29.4 | 40.4 | 39.2 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 33.4 | 29.4 | 28.8 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
49.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Columbus
49.6%
Lowndes County
56.8%
Mississippi
56.1%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Columbus population
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2% | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| Mexican | 1.4% | 1.6% | 2% |
| Puerto Rican | 0% | 0% | 0.3% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0.6% | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 98% | 97.7% | 96.3% |
| One race | 96% | 94.6% | 93.3% |
| White | 29.7% | 49% | 55.2% |
| Black or African American | 64.4% | 43.6% | 36.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 1% | 1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2% | 3.1% | 3% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
51.4%
family
Family
51.4%
Non family
48.6%
% family households
Columbus
51.4%
Lowndes County
63.3%
Mississippi
65.3%
Average household size
2.2
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Columbus population
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 10,006 | 23,006 | 1,145,431 |
| Average houshold size | 2.2 | 2.45 | 2.49 |
| Family households | 5,145 | 14,556 | 747,604 |
| Average family size | 3.11 | 3.14 | 3.12 |
| Married couple family | 2,486 | 9,201 | 498,140 |
| Other families | 2,659 | 5,355 | 249,464 |
| Male householder | 448 | 1,132 | 54,654 |
| Female householder | 2,211 | 4,223 | 194,810 |
| Non-family households | 4,861 | 8,450 | 397,827 |
| One-person households | 4,364 | 7,637 | 346,124 |
| Male householder | 2,047 | 3,648 | 158,618 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 703 | 1,347 | 50,989 |
| Female householder | 2,317 | 3,989 | 187,506 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,296 | 2,119 | 95,927 |
| Other living arrangements | 497 | 813 | 51,703 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
11,850
housing units
Columbus
11,850
Lowndes County
27,168
Mississippi
1,341,114
Occupancy status
84.4%
occupied
Occupied
84.4%
Vacant
15.6%
vacancy rate
Columbus
15.6%
Lowndes County
15.3%
Mississippi
14.6%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
66.6%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1975
Half of houses were built before 1975, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| 1–3 rooms | 10.4% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 4–6 rooms | 65.5% | 63.5% | 56.6% |
| 7+ rooms | 24.2% | 29.2% | 34% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.7% | 7.2% | 6.1% |
| 2 bedrooms | 27.3% | 20% | 20.8% |
| 3 bedrooms | 45.1% | 53.7% | 51.6% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 14.3% | 17.9% | 19.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1975 | 1982 | 1987 |
| Total housing units | 11,850 | 27,168 | 1,341,114 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
47.8%
owners
Renter-occupied
52.2%
Owner-occupied
47.8%
homeownership rate
Columbus
47.8%
Lowndes County
61.3%
Mississippi
70%
Average household size
2.3
Owner-occupied
2.11
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Columbus
2.3
Lowndes County
2.52
Mississippi
2.55
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 10,006 | 23,006 | 1,145,431 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 26.9% | 24.2% | 21.6% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 35.9% | 37.7% | 37.9% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 12.7% | 14.9% | 17.6% |
| 1999 or earlier | 24.6% | 23.1% | 22.9% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99% | 98.8% | 97.8% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.6% |
| 1.51 or more | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 9.3% | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| 1 vehicle | 43.1% | 34.9% | 32.1% |
| 2 vehicles | 31.3% | 35.2% | 36.1% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 16.4% | 23.8% | 25.4% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 46.4% | 36.3% | 39.2% |
| Electricity | 53.1% | 62.5% | 58.9% |
| Solar | 0% | 0.1% | 0% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| All other fuels | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1% |
| No fuel used | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| No telephone service available | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.2% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$125,700
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
28.9%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $125,700 | $164,100 | $169,800 |
| Under $100,000 | 35.8% | 29.4% | 29.9% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 38.1% | 29.6% | 27.9% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 13.5% | 20.3% | 20.3% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 8.9% | 16.5% | 16.3% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 3.2% | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 50.8% | 53.2% | 49.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 49.2% | 46.8% | 50.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,131 | $1,287 | $1,394 |
| Without a mortgage | $415 | $400 | $432 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $897 | $930 | $954 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
26.2%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Columbus
26.2%
Lowndes County
28.1%
Mississippi
25.1%
Adults without a high school diploma
11.4%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Columbus
11.4%
Lowndes County
10.6%
Mississippi
12.8%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
5,386
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
41.8%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 5,386 | 14,665 | 726,919 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.1% | 8% | 5.9% |
| K–12 | 61.5% | 69.1% | 69.3% |
| Kindergarten | 5.5% | 7.2% | 5% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 15% | 20.5% | 20.8% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 19.4% | 19.3% | 21.7% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 21.6% | 22.1% | 21.8% |
| College or graduate school | 33.4% | 22.9% | 24.8% |
| College, undergraduate | 29.8% | 19.6% | 19.9% |
| Graduate, professional school | 3.6% | 3.3% | 4.9% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 41.8% | 38.6% | 39.5% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 87.4% | 87.4% | 83.5% |
| Private school | 12.6% | 12.6% | 16.5% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
16,307
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 16,307 | 38,593 | 1,972,266 |
| Less than 9th grade | 3.5% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 7.9% | 7.3% | 8.5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 33.4% | 32.2% | 29.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 22.5% | 21% | 21.2% |
| Associate's degree | 6.4% | 8% | 10.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 28.1% | 25.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.3% | 18.6% | 15.3% |
| Graduate or professional | 9.9% | 9.5% | 9.9% |
| High School or higher | 88.6% | 89.3% | 87.1% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$36,166
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
3.7%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Columbus | Lowndes County | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $36,166 | $42,673 | $42,912 |
| Less than high school graduate | $16,958 | $30,000 | $29,259 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $28,669 | $32,470 | $35,321 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $35,176 | $38,934 | $40,529 |
| Bachelor's degree | $49,090 | $51,475 | $53,681 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $58,958 | $64,185 | $65,353 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 48% | 36.4% | 32.8% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 23.2% | 18.6% | 20% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 10.4% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.7% | 3.2% | 5.7% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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