Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Holsten Family Farmstead is on the National Register of Historic Places. Columbus has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Columbus beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 288 in 1850, 5,540 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1853 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbus, 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 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbus.
16% of Columbus residents are 65 or older. Adults 35 to 64 are 50% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). Among adults 25 and older in the town, 25% hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below both the Wisconsin town median (32%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%).
| Columbus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 32% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Columbus | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.9% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 23.6% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.5% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.5% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.8% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersen Adventist School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 18 | – |
| Wisconsin Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 66 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected losses in Columbus break down as 52% from hail and 22% from inland flooding. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage locally than in 73% of U.S. communities. 2 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 2019.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 10°, with about 43 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The income of the median household for Columbus comes to $101,000, against $87,000 in Wisconsin’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Most people who work leave Columbus to do it: just 2% work in town. Jobs in Columbus grew by 228 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 449. The share of residents in Columbus who live below the poverty line: 10%.
| Columbus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
77% of adults had a checkup this year in Columbus. The town beats the Wisconsin average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. In Columbus, 30% of adults feel lonely, and 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Columbus | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Columbus | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 12.1% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.5% | 6.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails total 0.3 miles in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Columbus Wetland Public Hunting Grounds, at 251 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Columbus Wetland Public Hunting Grounds | — | 251 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Columbus; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Columbus residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
7 notable people were born in Columbus.
City in Wisconsin, United States
Columbus is a city in Columbia and Dodge counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,540 at the 2020 census, all of which resided in Columbia County. Columbus is located about 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Madison on the Crawfish River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbus has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Columbus has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 7 notable people were born here, including James B. Bullard and Erin Murphy.
