Columbia County, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Columbia County
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Columbia County Courthouse in Dayton
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Location within the U.S. state of Washington
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 Washington's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Washington |
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| Founded | November 11, 1875 | |
| Named for | Columbia River | |
| Seat | Dayton | |
| Largest city | Dayton | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 873 sq mi (2,260 km2) | |
| • Land | 869 sq mi (2,250 km2) | |
| • Water | 4.9 sq mi (13 km2) 0.6%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,952 | |
| • Estimate
(2022)
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4,026  |
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| • Density | 4.6/sq mi (1.8/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| Congressional district | 5th | |
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,952, making it the second-least populous county in Washington. The county seat and largest city is Dayton. The county was created out of Walla Walla County on November 11, 1875, and is named after the Columbia River (which does not flow through the county). Columbia County is included in the Walla Walla, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 873 square miles (2,260 km2), of which 869 square miles (2,250 km2) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km2) (0.6%) is water. It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling prairie-like region of the middle Columbia basin.
Geographic features
- Snake River
- Blue Mountains
- Touchet River
- Tucannon River
Major highways
U.S. Route 12
Adjacent counties
- Whitman County - north
- Garfield County - east
- Wallowa County, Oregon - southeast
- Umatilla County, Oregon - southwest
- Walla Walla County - west
- Franklin County - northwest
National protected area
- Umatilla National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 7,103 | — | |
| 1890 | 6,709 | −5.5% | |
| 1900 | 7,128 | 6.2% | |
| 1910 | 7,042 | −1.2% | |
| 1920 | 6,093 | −13.5% | |
| 1930 | 5,325 | −12.6% | |
| 1940 | 5,549 | 4.2% | |
| 1950 | 4,860 | −12.4% | |
| 1960 | 4,569 | −6.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,439 | −2.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,057 | −8.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,027 | −0.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,064 | 0.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,078 | 0.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,952 | −3.1% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 4,026 | −1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,078 people, 1,762 households, and 1,156 families living in the county. The population density was 4.7 inhabitants per square mile (1.8/km2). There were 2,136 housing units at an average density of 2.5 units per square mile (0.97 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% white, 1.4% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 0.3% black or African American, 1.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.7% were German, 18.3% were English, 12.3% were Irish, and 7.0% were American.
Of the 1,762 households, 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.4% were non-families, and 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age was 48.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,611 and the median income for a family was $53,452. Males had a median income of $45,000 versus $35,357 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,810. About 9.8% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Dayton (county seat)
Town
Unincorporated communities
Education
School districts including parts of the county are:
- Dayton School District
- Pomeroy School District
- Prescott School District
- Starbuck School District
- Waitsburg School District
The Columbia County Rural Library District operates a library in Dayton. People living in Dayton are in the library's taxation base, but not in the library's voting base; the voting area for the library only consists of unincorporated areas. The library was established in 1919 as a small reading room while a women's civics club fundraised for a permanent building. The raised funds were transferred to the Dayton city government in 1935 and used to construct a public library in 1937 using New Deal funding; the building was later expanded in 1947. It is the only public library in Columbia County. A November 2023 ballot measure proposes to close the rural library district, and therefore the library itself, entirely due to the placement and availability of children's books on racial issues and LGBT topics. The library collection would be received by the Washington State Library if the rural library district is dissolved.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Columbia (Washington) para niños
