Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its National Register listings include Purcell-Killingsworth House and Bank of Columbia. Columbia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Columbia beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 290 in 1880, a peak of 1,132 in 1900, 690 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and a map from 1980 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbia, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia.
Half of commuters travel less than 18 miles. Since 2013, Columbia has added 25 jobs, to 120 in 2023. Only 6% of working residents stay in Columbia for work; the rest commute out. The share of residents in Columbia who live below the poverty line: 12%.
| Columbia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Houston County school district runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Houston County High School, with 322 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 322 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Columbia’s going rate for rent is $760 a month. The share of households in Columbia who own their home is 78%, above both Alabama’s towns (69%) and U.S. towns (73%).
| Columbia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $760 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA puts 51% of Columbia’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 25% to hurricanes. Compared with 74% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1990: 23.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 188 Alabama towns, just 10 have a higher July high than Columbia. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
8 crimes were reported in Columbia in 2025: 7 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Columbia is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
CDC measures, 32 in all: Columbia beats Alabama on 4 and trails on 2. In Columbia, 38% of adults feel lonely. The share of adults in Columbia who binge drink is 13%, where Alabama’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 16%.
| Columbia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 43% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Columbia | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 16% | 19.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.3 miles of trail. The trail density for Columbia comes to 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Columbia | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Columbia
About 1 of every 100 Columbia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
Where Columbia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Columbia on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Columbia.
Town in Alabama, United States
Columbia is a rural town in Houston County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Columbia had a population of 690.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born here, including Dave Edwards and B'Ho Kirkland.
