Climate
Columbia County is known for its balmy climate, with an annual average temperature of 64 degrees. Some studies suggest its location between the Atlantic and Gulf coasts contributes to generally mild winters.Those warm winters turned the region into a seasonal resort in the late 1800s and early 1900s and gave nearby Augusta much of its early reputation for hospitality and warmth.
The most annual rainfall registered in the Augusta area since records started at the Augusta airport in 1948 was 66.04 inches in 1964. Before the airport started taking measurements, the record was 73.82 inches in 1929.
Relative humidity is moderate. The driest season is autumn, and October is usually the driest month. The greatest rainfall is usually in March, followed by showers in July. Average annual rainfall is about 44 inches.
The average annual snowfall is about 1 inch. Snowfall is light and infrequent. Cold snaps usually occur regularly from mid-November to mid-March.
People
| People QuickFacts | Columbia County | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Population, 2012 estimate | NA | 9,919,945 |
| Population, 2011 estimate | 128,112 | 9,812,460 |
| Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base | 124,053 | 9,687,663 |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012 | NA | 2.4% |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 | 3.3% | 1.3% |
| Population, 2010 | 124,053 | 9,687,653 |
| Persons under 5 years, percent, 2011 | 6.5% | 7.0% |
| Persons under 18 years, percent, 2011 | 26.6% | 25.4% |
| Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2011 | 10.5% | 11.0% |
| Female persons, percent, 2011 | 51.4% | 51.1% |
| White persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 77.1% | 63.2% |
| Black persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 15.8% | 31.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Asian persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 4.0% | 3.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander persons, percent, 2011 (a) | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2011 | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| Persons of Hispanic or Latino Origin, percent, 2011 (b) | 5.3% | 9.1% |
| White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2011 | 72.8% | 55.5% |
| Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, 2007-2011 | 85.0% | 83.0% |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2007-2011 | 6.7% | 9.7% |
| Language other than English spoken at home, percent age 5+, 2007-2011 | 9.4% | 12.9% |
| High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011 | 90.6% | 84.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011 | 34.3% | 27.5% |
| Veterans, 2007-2011 | 13,129 | 702,919 |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2007-2011 | 24.1 | 27.0 |
| Housing units, 2011 | 50,331 | 4,102,992 |
| Homeownership rate, 2007-2011 | 80.4% | 66.8% |
| Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2007-2011 | 7.5% | 20.5% |
| Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2007-2011 | $169,600 | $160,200 |
| Households, 2007-2011 | 43,070 | 3,490,754 |
| Persons per household, 2007-2011 | 2.80 | 2.68 |
| Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars), 2007-2011 | $30,109 | $25,383 |
| Median household income, 2007-2011 | $66,556 | $49,736 |
| Persons below poverty level, percent, 2007-2011 | 7.7% | 16.5% |
| Business QuickFacts | Columbia County | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonfarm establishments, 2010 | 2,132 | 217,0991 |
| Private nonfarm employment, 2010 | 26,284 | 3,315,2741 |
| Private nonfarm employment, percent change, 2000-2010 | 13.0 | -4.81 |
| Nonemployer establishments, 2010 | 8,084 | 771,155 |
| Total number of firms, 2007 | 10,081 | 901,105 |
| Black-owned firms, percent, 2007 | 7.4% | 20.4% |
| American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, percent, 2007 | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007 | 5.7% | 5.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms, percent, 2007 | F | 0.1% |
| Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007 | 3.0% | 3.6% |
| Women-owned firms, percent, 2007 | 32.0% | 30.9% |
| Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000) | 2,411,210 | 144,280,774 |
| Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000) | 357,458 | 141,962,359 |
| Retail sales, 2007 ($1000) | 1,406,298 | 117,516,907 |
| Retail sales per capita, 2007 | $12,919 | $12,326 |
| Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000) | 119,074 | 16,976,235 |
| Building permits, 2011 | 1,265 | 18,493 |
| Geography QuickFacts | Columbia County | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land area in square miles, 2010 | 290.09 | 57,513.49 |
| Persons per square mile, 2010 | 427.6 | 168.4 |
| FIPS Code | 073 | 13 |
| Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Area | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area |