Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A regional job hub with 819 jobs.
3.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Columbia, against 20% in Louisiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Columbia has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Breston Plantation House and Shepis Building. 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: 235 in 1870, a peak of 1,021 in 1960, 277 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
5 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 Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia.
About one in 5 of Columbia’s working residents works in town. Columbia’s average trip to work is 27 minutes, where Louisiana’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The median household income in Columbia is $55,000.
| Columbia | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $56,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Caldwell Parish school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–3 | Grades 2–3 | 191 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
The typical Columbia home is worth about $131,000, up 7.5% in a year, 39% below the Louisiana typical home. 61% of Columbia households own their home.
| Columbia | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $872 a month | $990 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Columbia has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Columbia’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 8% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (24% statewide). Columbia has lost 6.1% of its people since 2020, down to 262 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 27% across Louisiana.
| Columbia | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.6 years | 37.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 20% | 29% |
Somewhere between 37% and 72% women
The Census survey reached too few of Columbia’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.6 points. Across Louisiana, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Columbia | LA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.8% | 11.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.9% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 33.5% | 20.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.1% | 7.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 17% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.7% | 10.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Columbia beats the Louisiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 50% of adults have high blood pressure in Columbia.
| Columbia | Louisiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 44% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 25% |
| What stands out | Columbia | LA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.6% | 78.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.5% | 18.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Columbia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Columbia; the nearest are
About 12 of every 100 Columbia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Louisiana.
Where Columbia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 places in Columbia on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Louisiana, United States
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 277 in 2020.
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.
