Columbus County, North Carolina
Among the top 7% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B, better than 69% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 93% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 27% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 33% of US counties
- top 14% for sunny days
- top 19% for park & nature access
- bottom 13% for natural disaster risk
Columbus County is a county in North Carolina with about 51,000 residents. It grades A for weather and D for getting around. Standout strengths include sunny days, park & nature access, and comfortable days. It rates lower on walkability and natural disaster risk.
Official websitecolumbusco.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
75%66%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.7 in3.7 in
muggy 77%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$43k10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$44kbetter than 67% of US counties
Home Value$120k25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$738better than 70% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 71% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.95%better than 43% of US counties
Income Tax4.50%better than 62% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.43%better than 50% of US counties
Unemployment5.8%better than 30% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)46°F81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)81°F74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation54.6 in84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.9 inbetter than 78% of US counties
Sunny Days268 daysbetter than 86% of US counties
Summer Humidity70°Fbetter than 19% of US counties
Comfortable Days90 daysbetter than 78% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk86.9better than 13% of US counties
School Quality44.6better than 26% of US counties
Violent Crime506/100kbetter than 70% of US counties
Property Crime1195/100kbetter than 37% of US counties
Community
Population50,82769th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age41.854th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5588th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9941st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2838th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)58.8%22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)28.5%90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.9%57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.5%43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.4%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time28 minbetter than 24% of US counties
Walkability4.9/20better than 17% of US counties
Airport Distance116 mibetter than 40% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access76.9%better than 20% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.20better than 25% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 81% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Columbus County an affordable place to live?
- Columbus County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $44k, better than 67% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Columbus County?
- The median home value in Columbus County is $120k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Columbus County?
- Median household income in Columbus County is $43k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Columbus County?
- Median gross rent in Columbus County is $738 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Columbus County safe?
- Columbus County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 506/100k (better than 70%). Property crime is 1195/100k.
- What is the weather like in Columbus County?
- Columbus County averages 81°F in July and 46°F in January, with 54.6 in of annual precipitation and about 268 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Columbus County?
- Public-school quality in Columbus County is below average, scoring better than 26% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Columbus County?
- The average one-way commute in Columbus County is 28 min.
Other counties in North Carolina
Explore North Carolina
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)