Columbia County, Oregon
A county in Oregon, ranked 17 of 36 by population.
CountyFIPS 41009
- Population
- 54,091
- +1,376 (+2.6%) since 2020
- Land area
- 658.7
- square miles. A further 4.4% of the total area is water
- Population density
- 82.1
- people per square mile, computed rather than published
- County seat
- St. Helens
- Seat of county government.
- Established
- 1854
- 171 years ago
- Largest city
- St. Helens city
- Population 14,450.
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025; Wikidata (CC0), Wikidata. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
Satellite view
Aerial imagery of Columbia County with its boundary drawn on top. A map shows you the shape; this shows you what is inside it, and which side of the line a place falls on.
Where Columbia County ranks
Position among the 36 counties of Oregon, and among all 3,144 US counties and county-equivalents. Computed from the figures on this page.
| Measure | Value | In Oregon | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,091 | 17th of 36 | 962nd of 3,144 |
| Land area | 658.7 sq mi | 34th of 36 | 1,425th of 3,144 |
| Population density | 82.1 per sq mi | 9th of 36 | 1,056th of 3,144 |
| Median household income | $87,458 | 7th of 36 | 362nd of 3,143 |
Full data for Columbia County
| Measure | Value | Source and vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,091 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| Population in 2020 | 52,715 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| 2020 estimates base? | 52,594 | Vintage 2025 Population Estimates |
| Land area | 658.7 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Water area | 30.3 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Total area | 689 sq mi | 2025 Gazetteer Files |
| Population density? | 82.1 per sq mi | Computed: Vintage 2025 estimates divided by 2025 Gazetteer land area |
| Median household income | $87,458 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Median home value | $421,600 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Median age | 43.3 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Households | 20,928 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Housing units | 22,167 | American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026; US Census Bureau, Gazetteer Files, 2025 Gazetteer Files, released 10 September 2025; US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates, released 29 January 2026. Population density is computed here, not published: it divides the Vintage 2025 population estimate by the 2025 Gazetteer land area, which are two different Census products. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
How the population changed
The Census Bureau publishes the components behind an estimate, not just the total. For the year to July 2025:
- Births minus deaths
- -144
- 444 births, 588 deaths
- Net migration
- +273
- More people moved in than moved out.
Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, released 26 March 2026. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
The 7 areas bordering Columbia County
Ordered by the length of the border actually shared, which the Census Bureau publishes in its county adjacency file and which no other county reference presents.
| Bordering area | State | Shared border | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowlitz County | Washington | 35 mi | 114,885 |
| Clatsop County | Oregon | 26 mi | 40,926 |
| Washington County | Oregon | 25 mi | 611,708 |
| Clark County | Washington | 8.9 mi | 532,119 |
| Multnomah County | Oregon | 8.6 mi | 795,391 |
| Wahkiakum County | Washington | 7.9 mi | 4,873 |
| Tillamook County | Oregon | a single point | 27,384 |
Source: US Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2025 County Adjacency File, released 15 September 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
All 36 counties of Oregon
Open the interactive Oregon county map, or jump straight to any of them.
- Baker County
- Benton County
- Clackamas County
- Clatsop County
- Columbia County
- Coos County
- Crook County
- Curry County
- Deschutes County
- Douglas County
- Gilliam County
- Grant County
- Harney County
- Hood River County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Josephine County
- Klamath County
- Lake County
- Lane County
- Lincoln County
- Linn County
- Malheur County
- Marion County
- Morrow County
- Multnomah County
- Polk County
- Sherman County
- Tillamook County
- Umatilla County
- Union County
- Wallowa County
- Wasco County
- Washington County
- Wheeler County
- Yamhill County
Data on this page last rebuilt 30 August 2026. How these figures are produced.