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Columbia, WA

Compare Cost of Living, Education, Income, Population, and More.

Columbia's Livability

C+
  • C-
    Affordability
  • A+
    Housing
  • B-
    Job Market
  • C
    Diversity
  • B-
    Crime
  • B-
    Commute
  • C-
    Education
  • B-
    Weather
  • D-
    Amenities

About Columbia, WA

Columbia, WA is located in Whatcom County in the state of Washington.

The total City Population for Columbia is about 42,731 with about 17 people per square mile.

The Average Home Value is $447,200, which is roughly 21% higher than the Average Home Value of $355,157 for the state of Washington, and roughly 51% higher than the National Average of $217,072.

The Median Income Per Household is about $72,545, which is roughly 3% lower than the Average Median Income Per Household of $75,048 for the state of Washington, and roughly 10% higher higher than the National Average of $65,026.

Walk Score for Columbia, WA Bike Score for Columbia, WA

Quick Stats

Columbia Population 42,731
Average Home Value $447,200
Median Household Income $72,545
Median Age 38
Unemployment Rate 6.9% (Whatcom County)
Politics 60.35% Democratic

Demographic Details

Average # of People Per Household: 2.78
Male Population Estimate: 48.7%
Female Population Estimate: 51.3%
Median Age: 38
Male Median Age: 37.2
Female Median Age: 38.8

Racial Demographic Estimates

Asian:35.2%
White:34.8%
Black:28.9%
Hispanic:8.1%
Other:4.4%
Indian:2.2%
Hawaiian:1.4%

Voting

Whatcom County voted Democratic in the 2020 Presidential Election with a very significant difference of 77.13% between the winner and runner up.
Patty Murray
U.S. Senator
Patty Murray
Democratic Party
Maria Cantwell
U.S. Senator
Maria Cantwell
Democratic Party
Jay Inslee
State governor
Jay Inslee
Democratic Party

Voting Results by Party

Democratic: 60.35%
Republican: 36.42%
Libertarian: 1.8%
Other: 0.91%
Green: 0.52%

Crime Details

NOTE: Crime is available at the County level so this doesn't necessarily represent the city of Columbia specifically.

Average # of Homicides for Whatcom County: About 2.874 per 100,000 People
(last recorded in 2021)

Average # of Violent Crimes for Whatcom County: About 340.639 per 100,000 People
(last recorded in 2021)

Whatcom County is about 27% lower than the national average of about 4 homicides per 100,000 people, and about 16% higher than the national average of about 288 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

Employment

Washington is ranked #7 out of 52 for Best and Worst States to Work in America, with an overall score of 80.05 out of 100.

7th out of 52

Wage Policies

Overall Wage Policy Score: 87.63

The average living wage for the state of Washington is $33.31/hr, while the states minimum wage is $13.69/hr, which can be set above the state standard, and is extended to farm workers. This gives Washington a minimum wage score of 100 compared to all other states.

The minimum wage for tipped employees is $13.69/hr, which gives Washington a minimum wage for tipped employees score of 100 compared to all other states.

The weekly unemployment (UI) benefit for Washington is $274.07, resulting in a UI benefit score of 75.54 compared to all other states.

Worker Protection Policies

Overall Worker Protection Score: 71.43
Washington does provide accommodations for pregnant workers.
Washington does offer protections for workplace breastfeeding.
Washington does mandate equal pay across gender and race.
Washington does prohibit pay secrecy practices in the workplace.
Washington does restrict access to salary history to reduce gender and racial bias.
Washington does provide some form of paid family leave.
Washington does provide some form of paid sick leave.
X Washington does not provide flexible scheduling of worker shifts.
X Washington does not mandate pay reporting or "call-in" pay by employers.
X Washington does not provide split shift pay regulation.
X Washington does not provide workers advanced notice of shift scheduling.
Washington does provide some form of sexual harassment protection in state law.
Washington does extend workers compensation mandates to farmworkers.
X Washington does not extend worker protections to domestic workers.

Right To Organize Policies

Overall Right To Organize Score: 70
Washington does not have a "right-to-work" law.
Washington does legalize project labor agreements to ensure a fair wage to workers on contract.
X Washington does not protect workers against wage theft retaliation.
Washington does partially require collective bargaining for public workers.
Washington does provide collective bargaining for teachers.
Washington does provide wage negotiations for teachers.
Data from Oxfam America, Inc.
A global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice.

Nearby Location

Additional Location Details

Zip Code(s): 98295
Latitude: 48.967100
Longitude: -122.162900
TimeZone: Pacific (GMT -08:00)
Daylight Saving: Yes
Region: West
Average Elevation: 209.0 ft.
Area Code(s): 206