On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Columbia Township is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #431 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Columbia Township’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Columbia Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1791.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.5 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Columbia Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Columbia Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1898East Cincinnati sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Columbia Township.
People over time
Columbia Township, census by census
Peaked at 36,338 in 1930; 4,446 people lived here in 2020.
19 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Columbia Township’s Wikipedia page.
Columbia Township was named after the early settlement of Columbia, established in 1788 by a group of pioneers led by Benjamin Stites as part of the United States' expansion into the Northwest Territory. Columbia was part of the Symmes Purchase in 1788, when John Cleves Symmes of New Jersey acquired it from the Continental Congress.This area was the ancestral home of Native American tribes, including the Shawnee, Miami, and Fort Ancient Peoples, who constructed the Fort Ancient Earthworks. Cincinnati annexed Columbia in 1871 and is now named Columbia-Tusculum.
In 1791, according to Wikidata. the census of 1820 counted 2,814 people here.
How does Columbia Township rank for history?
Columbia Township is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #431 of 993 in Ohio. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Columbia Township?
30% of Columbia Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.5 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1957.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2019
2015