Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 673, chartered in 1762. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
43% of the land in Columbia is conserved, above both New Hampshire’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Bunnell Working Forest, at 5,398 acres with 6.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Columbia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Columbia beats most towns.
Census counts: 26 in 1790, 659 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 3 maps from 1929 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 19, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia.
47 miles of trail wind through 7 parks and preserves. The density of trails in Columbia is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nash Stream Forest | 8.6 mi | 2,988 |
| 2. Bunnell Working Forest | 6.4 mi | 5,398 |
| 3. Vickie Bunnell Preserve | 3.1 mi | 4,287 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
For households in Columbia, the share who own their home is 91%. Values fell 5.8% in the year to September 2026.
| Columbia | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $792 a month | $1,388 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 91% | 82% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Columbia comes to 83 of 100, above both the New Hampshire town median (53 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Expected losses in Columbia break down as 66% from avalanches and 24% from inland flooding. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 1981: 2.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 9 have a lower average commute than Columbia. 11% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. Only 1% of working residents stay in Columbia for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Colebrook (38%), Stewartstown (5%) and Pittsburg (4%).
| Columbia | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare, none has a lower typical July afternoon high than Columbia. July afternoons reach 74°, January nights drop to 4° and about 81 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
CDC measures, 32 in all: Columbia beats New Hampshire on 1 and trails on 21. No town among the 127 in New Hampshire we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Columbia. Also worth knowing: the share of adults in Columbia who have diabetes: 15%. Only 4 of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare have a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than Columbia.
| Columbia | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9.5% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 20% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Columbia | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.3% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Columbia; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Columbia residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Columbia on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Columbia is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 659 at the 2020 census, down from 757 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH-VT micropolitan statistical area.
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.
