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Columbia County, Florida: crime rate, income and local data
Columbia County averaged 3.0 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, close to the Florida rate (2.9). Median household income is $59,205 and the unemployment rate was 5.5% in August 2026. About 71,789 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Columbia County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 221 violent and 703 property crimes per year. The violent rate, 3.0 per 1,000 people, is close to the Florida rate (2.9); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 9.5 per 1,000, against 14.4 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 85% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 6 homicide deaths a year in the county (8.3 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Columbia County | Per 1,000 | Florida per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 221 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 19 | 0.26 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 13 | 0.18 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 187 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 703 | 9.5 | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 126 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 519 | 7.0 | 11.7 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 58 | 0.79 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
Median household income is $59,205, 21% lower than the statewide figure ($74,568). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $194,900 by its owners; renters pay a median $976. 20.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.6%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,530 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Columbia County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 71,789 | 22,416,077 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $59,205 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $194,900 | $359,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $976 | $1,669 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 16.7% | 12.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 20.5% | 12.6% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 34.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 72.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 42.6 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.1% | 91.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 12.6% | 11.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Columbia County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Columbia County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Columbia County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 2 high-hazard dams in Columbia County. 2 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition. Tallest on the list: L.P.Hill Dam #3 (21 ft) and L.P.Hill Dam 1 (20 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
6 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 27,974 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Columbia County was covered by 9 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 7, Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 349 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 18 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 27 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 2 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Columbia County?
No highway work zones were listed in Columbia County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Columbia County?
Federal school lists show 19 public and 12 private schools in the county. 4 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 16 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. 5 state parks or recreation areas: Big Shoals State Park, Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Ichetucknee Trace Recreation Area, O'leno State Park and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Columbia County
Gun shops
3 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Columbia County, plus 14 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 2 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Empire Gold & Pawn LLC (Lake City), Five Points Pawn LLC (Lake City) and Greens Marine & Sporting Goods INC (Lake City).
Liquor stores
12 liquor stores are on the map in Columbia County: 47 Liquor (2 in Lake City), 5 Point Liquors (Lake City), A & D Discount Liquor (Lake City), ABC Liquors # 196 (Lake City), Jiffy Junction Liquor Store (Lake City), Lake City Liquor Store LLC (Lake City), Publix Liquor Store #1192 (Lake City), Sams Discount Liquor #3 (Fort White) and 3 more.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Columbia County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Columbia County?
Columbia County averaged 221 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.0 per 1,000 residents, close to the Florida rate (2.9). The property-crime rate was 9.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Columbia County?
$59,205 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $74,568 for Florida and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Columbia County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,530 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Columbia County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Columbia County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Is there road construction in Columbia County right now?
No highway work zones were listed in Columbia County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Columbia County?
4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Columbia County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | 285,492 | 4.9 | $61,949 |
| Baker County | 28,430 | 3.1 | $79,836 |
| Clinch County, GA | 6,759 | 1.1 | $45,847 |
| Echols County, GA | 3,709 | – | $59,489 |
| Gilchrist County | 19,040 | – | $63,523 |
| Hamilton County | 13,616 | 4.6 | $50,144 |
| Suwannee County | 45,342 | – | $56,658 |
| Union County | 15,701 | 1.4 | $64,146 |
More: Florida statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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