Columbus, Montana demographics

Columbus, MT demographics: median age 47.2; 24.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree. Age, race, households, languages and education, ACS 2020–2024 with margins of error.

ACS 2020–2024 · Columbus town, Montana · Incorporated town · GEOID 3016825. The survey estimates a population of 2,003 for its five-year window. This is separate from the annual July 2025 population estimate on the city overview.

Median age in Columbus is 47.2 years, with a 90% margin of error of 3.8 years. There are 893 households (±115). Age and household distributions show how these totals are composed; they do not establish which neighborhood suits a particular person.

Every count and share is an estimate. “±” is a 90% margin of error (MOE); pp means percentage points. Derived shares use the category count divided by the named universe. Aggregated category MOEs and percentage MOEs are approximate. A margin larger than half its estimate is flagged as low precision. Blank source uncertainty is shown as unavailable, never zero.

Age distribution and sex

City, state and U.S. estimates · ACS 2020–2024
Measure / survey universe City estimate ± MOE State estimate ± MOE U.S. estimate ± MOE
Median age Total population · years 47.2 ±3.8 40.4 ±0.2 38.9 ±0.1
Age groups · B01001 · ACS 2020–2024 Total population: 2,003
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Under 18 382 ±84 19.1% ±3.5 pp 21.0% 22.0%
18–34 325 ±90 16.2% ±4.0 pp 21.9% 22.8%
35–64 748 ±123 37.3% ±4.1 pp 37.0% 38.0%
65 and older 548 ±109 27.4% ±4.3 pp 20.1% 17.2%
Sex categories as published by ACS · B01001 · ACS 2020–2024 Total population: 2,003
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Male 953 ±145 47.6% ±4.3 pp 50.7% 49.5%
Female 1,050 ±146 52.4% ±3.4 pp 49.3% 50.5%

The age groups are mutually exclusive and cover the entire population. The sex categories follow this ACS table’s published classification; they are not a survey of gender identity.

Race and Hispanic origin

Race · B02001 · ACS 2020–2024 Total population: 2,003
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
White alone 1,874 ±239 93.6% ±3.2 pp 85.0% 61.0%
Black or African American alone 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.5 pp · low precision 0.5% 12.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 7 ±17 · low precision 0.3% ±0.8 pp · low precision 5.6% 0.9%
Asian alone 23 ±23 · low precision 1.1% ±1.1 pp · low precision 0.8% 6.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.5 pp · low precision 0.0% 0.2%
Some other race alone 4 ±6 · low precision 0.2% ±0.3 pp · low precision 1.3% 7.1%
Two or more races 95 ±69 · low precision 4.7% ±3.4 pp · low precision 6.8% 12.6%
Hispanic or Latino origin · B03003 · ACS 2020–2024 Total population: 2,003
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Not Hispanic or Latino 1,918 ±242 95.8% ±2.8 pp 95.4% 80.7%
Hispanic or Latino 85 ±39 4.2% ±1.9 pp 4.6% 19.3%

Hispanic origin and race are separate questions. People of Hispanic or Latino origin may be of any race and appear in both tables. Do not add the Hispanic share to race shares. Race alone and two-or-more-race groups are the mutually exclusive categories of the race table.

Household types, children and living alone

Household types · B11001 · ACS 2020–2024 Households: 893
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Married-couple family 371 ±83 41.5% ±7.6 pp 48.4% 46.9%
Other family: male householder, no spouse present 29 ±29 · low precision 3.2% ±3.2 pp · low precision 4.4% 5.1%
Other family: female householder, no spouse present 88 ±39 9.9% ±4.2 pp 7.5% 12.2%
Nonfamily: householder living alone 398 ±97 44.6% ±9.2 pp 31.4% 28.7%
Nonfamily: householder not living alone 7 ±8 · low precision 0.8% ±0.9 pp · low precision 8.3% 7.0%
Households with children · B11005 · ACS 2020–2024 Households: 893
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Households with people under 18 215 ±57 24.1% ±5.6 pp 25.4% 29.5%
Households without people under 18 678 ±118 75.9% ±8.9 pp 74.6% 70.5%
Household size · B11016 · ACS 2020–2024 Households: 893
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
One-person nonfamily households 398 ±97 44.6% ±9.2 pp 31.4% 28.7%
Two-person households 253 ±67 28.3% ±6.6 pp 38.2% 33.8%
Three-person households 77 ±41 · low precision 8.6% ±4.4 pp · low precision 12.6% 15.3%
Four-person households 81 ±41 · low precision 9.1% ±4.4 pp 10.6% 12.6%
Five-person households 65 ±40 · low precision 7.3% ±4.3 pp · low precision 4.5% 5.9%
Six-person households 19 ±24 · low precision 2.1% ±2.6 pp · low precision 1.6% 2.2%
Seven or more people 0 ±16 · low precision 0.0% ±1.7 pp · low precision 1.1% 1.4%

A family household contains related people under the Census definition. A nonfamily household can contain one person or unrelated people sharing a home. Households with children can also appear in the household-type and size tables, so those tables must not be added together. Household estimates exclude people living in group quarters from the household universe.

Nativity and languages spoken at home

Nativity · B05002 · ACS 2020–2024 Total population: 2,003
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Native 1,944 ±245 97.1% ±2.7 pp 97.7% 85.9%
Foreign born 59 ±18 2.9% ±0.8 pp 2.3% 14.1%
Language spoken at home · C16001 · ACS 2020–2024 Population age 5 and older: 1,948
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
English only 1,919 ±233 98.5% ±16.9 pp 95.8% 77.7%
Spanish 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 1.4% 13.6%
French, Haitian, or Cajun 3 ±4 · low precision 0.2% ±0.2 pp · low precision 0.2% 0.7%
German or other West Germanic 13 ±19 · low precision 0.7% ±1.0 pp · low precision 0.8% 0.5%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.2% 0.7%
Other Indo-European 4 ±7 · low precision 0.2% ±0.4 pp · low precision 0.3% 2.0%
Korean 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.1% 0.3%
Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese 6 ±10 · low precision 0.3% ±0.5 pp · low precision 0.1% 1.1%
Vietnamese 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.1% 0.5%
Tagalog, including Filipino 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.2% 0.6%
Other Asian and Pacific Island 3 ±5 · low precision 0.2% ±0.3 pp · low precision 0.2% 1.1%
Arabic 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.0% 0.5%
Other and unspecified 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.7% 0.8%

Foreign born means not a U.S. citizen at birth; it includes naturalized citizens. Language categories describe speech at home among people age five and older. A language other than English at home does not establish that someone cannot speak English. This city page uses the published C16001 summary categories because the more detailed B16001 table does not provide these city records in this release.

Educational attainment

Highest completed education · B15003 · ACS 2020–2024 Population age 25 and older: 1,444
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Less than high school graduate 81 ±53 · low precision 5.6% ±3.6 pp · low precision 5.4% 10.4%
High school graduate or equivalency 527 ±123 36.5% ±7.2 pp 27.5% 26.0%
Some college, no degree 392 ±92 27.1% ±5.4 pp 22.4% 19.1%
Associate’s degree 98 ±50 · low precision 6.8% ±3.4 pp 9.6% 8.8%
Bachelor’s degree 238 ±82 16.5% ±5.3 pp 23.2% 21.6%
Graduate or professional degree 108 ±45 7.5% ±3.0 pp 12.0% 14.1%

The denominator excludes residents under 25. Each person is counted in the highest attainment category they completed. This table does not measure the quality of local schools or the education level of every current student.

Residence one year earlier

Geographic mobility · B07003 · ACS 2020–2024 Population age 1 and older: 1,999
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp) Montana U.S.
Same house 1,823 ±252 91.2% ±5.9 pp 86.5% 87.7%
Moved within same county 104 ±58 · low precision 5.2% ±2.8 pp · low precision 6.4% 6.3%
Moved from a different county in the same state 49 ±31 · low precision 2.5% ±1.5 pp · low precision 3.0% 3.1%
Moved from a different state 23 ±23 · low precision 1.2% ±1.1 pp · low precision 3.7% 2.3%
Moved from abroad 0 ±11 · low precision 0.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision 0.3% 0.6%

These are respondents’ residence patterns one year before their survey response, pooled across the five-year window. They are not a net migration count for 2025. A person can move to a different house within the same city or county; moves within the same county should not automatically be interpreted as new arrivals to the city.

Health insurance, internet access and veterans

5.7% of Columbus residents (±3.3 percentage points) had no health insurance coverage when surveyed, compared with 8.6% in Montana and 8.4% nationally. 84.7% of households subscribe to broadband of any type, including cellular data plans. A subscription is not the same as available service: the FCC National Broadband Map shows providers at a specific address.

City, state and U.S. shares · ACS 2020–2024
Measure Columbus Montana U.S. Compared with Montana
People without health insurance Civilian noninstitutionalized population 5.7% ±3.3 pp · low precision 8.6% 8.4% Not statistically different
Households with a broadband subscription Households 84.7% ±5.7 pp 89.4% 91.0% Not statistically different
Veterans Civilian population age 18 and older 13.1% ±4.5 pp 9.0% 6.2% Not statistically different

Reading and reusing the estimates

The Census table links above lead to the original detailed tables. Counts, source universes and uncertainty are retained in the source observation download for Columbus . Compare these figures with the same survey window; do not compare one city’s five-year estimate with another city’s annual estimate as though they measured the same period. For methods, see uncertainty and denominator calculations.

Read Columbus housing and cost context or return to the city profile.

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