Photo: Denimadept · CC BY-SA 3.0Columbia spent less per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar towns
Columbia’s town government spent $569,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $862 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($2,000), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
In 124 days
Most NH towns vote that day. Check Columbia’s site for its own date.
What stands out about how Columbia is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
About $862 per resident a year, or $2.36 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Columbia collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
$620 per resident in 2022: less than 88% of them
Columbia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($620 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 New Hampshire towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,026, and the middle half spent $774–$1,462. Columbia spent less than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($45,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Hampshire towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbia itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 23% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Columbia reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $620 · 2024: $862. Per resident it went from $620 to $862 (up 39%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 744 to 660.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,009 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.02% of the home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
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 →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Columbia’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Columbia’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.
Town website ↗Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March: officers are elected and warrant articles, including the budget, are decided.
Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Columbia’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Columbia School District
Columbia’s school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
New Hampshire districts overall: 64% local, 28% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Columbia voted in 2024
Official results for Columbia’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.6%286 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.7%128 votesOthers: 0.7% (3 votes).
Most votes in Columbia: Donald J Trump
Coos County: Trump 56.2%, Harris 42.5% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Columbia’s 557 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Columbia: Kelly Ayotte
Coos County: Ayotte 59.6%, Craig 37.7% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Columbia, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 68.6% | 30.7% | 0.7% | 417 |
| Coos County | 56.2% | 42.5% | 1.3% | 17,322 |
| New Hampshire | 47.9% | 50.7% | 1.5% | 826,189 |
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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Columbia.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: columbianh.org ↗
- 2New Hampshire House1 districts, 1 seatsCoos 31 seat, shared with Colebrook, Erving's Location and Stewartstown
- 3New Hampshire SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Hampshire
New Hampshire elects some House members from “floterial” districts that join several towns; districts from RSA 662:5 (2022).
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Columbia compares with the towns next door
Columbia spent $620 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $978. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Columbia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbia’s government
How much does Columbia spend per resident?
About $862 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. Columbia also runs a hospital ($2,000), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $620 was less than 88% of 59 New Hampshire towns and townships 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 $2,009 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.02% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see columbianh.org.
Who runs Columbia’s government?
See columbianh.org for current officials. 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?
For president, Donald J Trump 68.6%, Kamala D Harris 30.7% (417 votes, official results). Coos County: Trump 56.2%, Harris 42.5%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Columbia?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $561 (about $6,732 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (David Rochefort); State House Coos 3 (1 seat, shared with Colebrook, Erving's Location and Stewartstown). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Columbia?
Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March (March 9, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check columbianh.org for Columbia’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Columbia’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
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), NH RSA 662:5; legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →