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Columbia, AlabamaPhoto: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Columbia

Columbia spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities

Columbia’s town government spent $495,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $666 per resident. Water and other utilities ($150,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$495,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$666
In 2022: $666, more than 71% of 109 similar cities
Long-term debt
$920,000
end of FY2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
10
full-time · 1 part-time · March payroll $32,329
Typical tax bill
$547
0.35% of home value · AL 0.38%

What stands out about how Columbia is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $666 per resident, more than 71% of 109 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer42% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Houston County School District with 6+ other towns.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $547 a year: 0.35% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Compared with similar places

$666 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them

Columbia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($666 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $425, and the middle half spent $186–$735. Columbia spent more than 71% of them.

Middle half of the group, $186–$735Median $425Columbia

Includes sewer and trash ($120,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
109

Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbia itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $666 per resident a year, or $1.82 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 30%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 55%Utility sales 17%From other local governments 17%Property taxes 5%Fees & charges 4%Other taxes & licenses 2%Interest, fines & other <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4,000; interest on debt $43,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $692,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Columbia reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $547 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.35% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Alabama$788
Columbia$547
$547
typical bill a year
0.35%
effective rate
$156,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Columbia’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbia →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Columbia

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Columbia’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Columbia yet.
Who works for Columbia

One full-time town employee for every 74 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (743).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings4 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation2
Police2
Water & other utilities2
10
full-time
1
part-time
$32,329
payroll for March 2022
$387,948
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$37,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Columbia had 13.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 87 of the 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.7: Columbia had more than 82% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Houston County School District

Columbia’s K–12 school district, shared with Ashford, Avon, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Columbia →
$11,679
per pupil · AL $13,926
6,993
students
$53.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $11,679 per pupil, $6,839 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 25%State 60%Federal 15%

Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Columbia’s votes are counted by county

Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Columbia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Houston County’s results.

President · Houston County’s results44,349 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican73.2%32,469 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat25.6%11,352 votes

Others: 1.2% (528 votes).

Most votes in Houston County: Donald J Trump

Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%

The county’s page

100% of Columbia lies in Houston County. Every 2024 race in Houston County is on the county’s page.

Houston County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Columbia

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Columbia.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Alabama HouseState representatives
    Paul Lee
  3. 3
    Alabama SenateState senator
    Donnie Chesteen
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Kay Ivey
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Barry Moore
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
    Tommy TubervilleKatie Boyd Britt

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Columbia’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Columbia’s government

How much does Columbia spend per resident?

About $666 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $666 was more than 71% of 109 Alabama cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Columbia?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $547 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Columbia’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbia yet.

How did Columbia vote in 2024?

Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Columbia alone. Houston County, where 100% of Columbia lies, voted Trump 73.2%, Harris 25.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Columbia?

10 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $32,329 (about $387,948 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?

State Senate District 29 (Donnie Chesteen) and State House District 86 (Paul Lee). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Columbia’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →