What is the population of Columbia city?

Columbia city has 43,971 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #19 of 504 in Tennessee.

What is the median household income in Columbia city?

Median household income in Columbia city is $61,204 a year, 22.1% below the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Columbia city?

Median gross rent is $1,092 a month and the median home value is $261,700, so rent absorbs about 21.4% of median household income.

Is Columbia city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 4.3× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Columbia city is less affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 21.4% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

Tennessee · Census place 16540

Columbia, TN population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Columbia, Tennessee (Columbia, TN — Census place “Columbia city”) is 43,971 residents, ranking #19 of 504 places in Tennessee. Median household income is $61,204, the median home is worth $261,700 and median gross rent runs $1,092 a month. Looking for the Columbia Tennessee ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Columbia, TN: 38401.

Population: 43,971Columbia city residents
Median household income: $61,204Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $261,700Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $1,092Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 35.9 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 63.6%Owner-occupied households

Columbia ZIP codes (Tennessee)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Columbia.

The Columbia TN ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

38401

What the numbers mean in Columbia city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Columbia city median would spend about 21.4% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 4.3× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 14.3% of residents and 63.6% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Columbia city, TN in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Columbia city is a small city in Tennessee, with 43,971 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #19 of 504 ranked by population — larger than 96% of them. The median age here is 35.9 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.

Households in Columbia city earn a median of $61,204 a year, 22.1% below the national figure of $78,538 and 9% above the $55,988 median for the 307 Tennessee cities we cover. Household income here is measured before tax and pooled across everyone at the address, which is why it reads higher than typical individual earnings in the same area. Poverty reaches 14.3% of residents here, above the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Columbia city is valued at $261,700, 13.7% below the national figure and 37% above the $191,100 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,092 a month, 22.3% below the national figure, or roughly $13,104 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 21.4% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is within the standard affordability guideline. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 4.3×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is harder here than in the average US market. 63.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Tennessee.

More Tennessee coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Columbia city?: Columbia city has 43,971 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #19 of 504 in Tennessee.
What is the median household income in Columbia city?: Median household income in Columbia city is $61,204 a year, 22.1% below the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Columbia city?: Median gross rent is $1,092 a month and the median home value is $261,700, so rent absorbs about 21.4% of median household income.
Is Columbia city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 4.3× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Columbia city is less affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 21.4% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Columbia city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. Places under 65,000 residents only appear in the five-year release, never the one-year file, so these values pool sixty months of responses and lag the current year by design.