Columbia TownshipVan Buren County, MI
Some 2,542 people live in this town, in Michigan.
Is Columbia Township a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Its lowest grade is for health: residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Columbia Township grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns. It also trails on schools (C−) — its public schools trail 83% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. Homes run about $164K for a typical one, 2.4 times the county’s $68K median household income. Hazard risk is its strong suit (B). The biggest park or preserve is Black River Nature Sanctuary, at 98 acres. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 86% of U.S. towns.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap.
93% of working residents leave Columbia Township for work
Where Columbia Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
How Columbia Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Columbia Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Columbia Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbia Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia Township.
Columbia Township gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to South Haven and beyond.
For health, Columbia Township earns a D
20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Columbia Township. In Columbia Township, 18% of adults report frequent physical distress, above both the Michigan town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). Among adults here, 21% smoke cigarettes and 26% say their health is fair or poor.
| Columbia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Columbia Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.5% | 10.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 10.8% | 6.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Few of Columbia Township’s working residents work in town
Columbia Township has 226 jobs for its 855 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 21 miles. Jobs based in Columbia Township grew to 226 in 2021, 115 more than in 2011. Just 7% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The share of residents in Columbia Township who live below the poverty line: 19%.
| Columbia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Columbia Township
The Bloomingdale weather station, 5 miles away, records that 109 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
July afternoons reach 83° and January nights drop to 18°.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Columbia Township keeps 2% of its land conserved
4.4 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail network density for Columbia Township comes to 0.1 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 13, covering 218 acres.
| Columbia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jeptha Lake Fen | 0.5 mi | 53 |
| 2. Black River Nature Sanctuary | — | 98 |
| 3. Hultmark Preserve | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Columbia Township has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Expected losses in Columbia Township break down as 48% from inland flooding and 15% from tornadoes. The town’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 40 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Columbia Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Columbia Township; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Columbia Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Columbia Township
Township in Michigan, United States
Columbia Township is a civil township of Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,588 at the 2010 census, down to 2,546 at the 2020 census. Columbia Township is a largely rural area with many farms. It is also home to several lakes with a significant percentage of the population living on them, frequently retirees from Chicago. Many summer lake cottages are owned by families with roots in the Chicago area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 682 ft
Columbia Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Columbia Township.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Lee Township (D) is closest.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Township | #696 | D− | B− | — | C− | D |
| Arlington Township | — | — | C+ | — | C− | D |
| Bloomingdale Township | #633 | D | B+ | — | C | D |
| Geneva Township | #621 | C− | B | — | C | C− |
| Lee Township | #655 | D | A | — | C− | D− |
Arlington Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Columbia Township, Arlington Township, Bloomingdale Township, Geneva Township and Lee Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Columbia Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Columbia Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Columbia Township, MI a good place to live?
Columbia Township grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns. It grades D for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Columbia Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.