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City · 10,278 residents · Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Columbia , Pennsylvania

In Columbia, a typical home is worth $196,500 and typical rent is $1,075 a month. Compared with all of Lancaster County, typical household income is 37% lower, the typical home value is 35% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 17 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $196,500

    35% below the county

    23% below Pennsylvania

    • Columbia
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $1,075a month

    21% below the county

    11% below Pennsylvania

    • Columbia
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $54,437a year

    37% below the county

    30% below Pennsylvania

    • Columbia
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    53%

    17 points below the county

    17 points below Pennsylvania

    • Columbia
    • Lancaster
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$289,633
4.3% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,347 a month
5.8% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Columbia is in Lancaster County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Lancaster County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Columbia apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical household income in Columbia is $54,437, 37% less than in Lancaster County as a whole ($86,959).

  2. 53% of households in Columbia own their home, against 70% in Lancaster County.

  3. The typical home in Columbia is worth $196,500, 35% less than in Lancaster County as a whole ($301,100).

  4. The typical rent in Columbia is $1,075 a month, 21% less than in Lancaster County as a whole ($1,357).

  5. 14% of households in Columbia have no internet at home (9% in Lancaster County).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Columbia

What homes there are in Columbia, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

No kind of home is the majority in Columbia; the largest group, attached houses (townhouses), adds up to 31%, against 21% in Lancaster County.

Year built

In Columbia, at least half of the homes were built before 1940, and 69% date from before 1960.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA limit for Lancaster County is high ($541,287): at least 94% of owner-occupied homes in Columbia are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,501 a month

Lancaster County: $1,818 a month

Without a mortgage

$729 a month

Lancaster County: $702 a month

Owners with a mortgage

62%

Lancaster County: 60%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Columbia is $1,501 a month, less than in Lancaster County ($1,818); without one, $729.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Columbia gained value faster than in Lancaster County: 82% against 44%.

Much as in Lancaster County, the typical rent in Columbia rose 34% since 2015–2019.

To compare: typical income in Columbia rose 31%; the home, +82%; the rent, +34%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureColumbiaLancaster CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.1%4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.3%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.2%1.6%3.4%
People per household 2.202.552.392.53
Drive alone 74%72%68%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate10%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%4%3%
Walk or bike 7%4%4%3%
Work from home 6%12%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Columbia are smaller: 2.20 people on average; in Lancaster County, 2.55.

The car rules in Columbia: 74% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 20 to 29 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Columbia?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Columbia, worth $196,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 39% of the typical household income in Columbia, which is $54,437 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $76,584 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Lancaster County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Columbia. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $6,878 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,787

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$192,940
Total interest
$277,596
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,318 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,270 a month

  • Tight

    $1,270 to $1,633 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,633 a month

    Your payment · 39%

Compared with the typical household income in Columbia ($54,437 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,787
Principal & interest$1,307
Property tax$311
Home insurance$82
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$87

You need at least $6,878 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Columbia and Lancaster County

Columbia is in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Columbia's own numbers

Typical home value
$196,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,075
Typical yearly household income
$54,437
Households that own their home
53%
Effective property tax rate
1.9%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Lancaster County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,553
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+59%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.8%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Lancaster County.

Everything about Lancaster County

Buying

Buying a home in Columbia

A typical home in Columbia is worth $196,500: 35% below the county and 23% below Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in Columbia ($54,437 a year), a typical home costs 3.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Columbia 3.6 years
  • Lancaster 3.5 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Lancaster County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Lancaster County rose 93% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Lancaster County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.0% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +59% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +93% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Columbia next to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Columbia $196,500
  • Lancaster $301,100
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Columbia $1,075
  • Lancaster $1,357
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Columbia $54,437
  • Lancaster $86,959
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Columbia next to Lancaster County and Pennsylvania
Measure Columbia Lancaster County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $196,500 $301,100 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,075 $1,357 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $54,437 $86,959 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 53% 70% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,732 $3,975 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.9% 1.32% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 60% 46% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Lancaster County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Columbia

For a typical $196,500 home in Columbia, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Columbia's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,787a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $6,878
    Cash to close
    $12,773
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $87

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,751a month

    Down payment
    $9,825
    Cash to close
    $15,720
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $93

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,458a month

    Down payment
    $39,300
    Cash to close
    $45,195
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,640a month

    Down payment
    $29,475
    Cash to close
    $35,370
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Columbia and for Lancaster County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Columbia

1.9%of the home’s value each year

$3,732 a year for the typical owner in Columbia.

  • Columbia 1.9%
  • Lancaster 1.32%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Lancaster County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Lancaster County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.8%
1,544
Of those, with NFIP insurance
27%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.8% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 27% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Columbia

Typical rent in Columbia is $1,075 a month: 21% below the county. In Columbia, 60% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Lancaster County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,553 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.87 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Lancaster County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,152 $22.15 $46,080
1 bedroom $1,256 $24.15 $50,240
2 bedrooms $1,553 $29.87 $62,120
3 bedrooms $1,978 $38.04 $79,120
4 bedrooms $2,041 $39.25 $81,640

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Columbia

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Columbia is in ZIP code 17512.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,380: $173 less than the fair market rent for Lancaster County ($1,553).

  • 17512 $1,380$1,790

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Columbia when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Columbia

HUD lists 6 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Columbia. These are the largest.

  • Trinity House 400 Mill St, Columbia 17512 134 homes, 130 low-income · For older adults (717) 684-4141
  • ST. Peter Apartments 400 Union St, Columbia 17512 127 homes, 126 low-income · For older adults (717) 285-3177
  • OSWEGO VILLAGE aka OAK HOLLOW SOUTH 2160 Oak Hollow Dr, Columbia 17512 67 low-income homes · For families (717) 684-3235
  • Water Tower 920 Plane St, Columbia 17512 60 low-income homes · 1 bd: 15 · 2 bd: 40 · 3 bd: 5 · In service since 1996 · For families
  • Rivercrest Apts Oak Hollow DR, Columbia 17512 56 homes

See all 54 buildings in Lancaster County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Columbia

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Lancaster County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Columbia

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Columbia or Lancaster County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in Columbia the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near Columbia

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Columbia, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Base,inc.

    447 S Prince St, Lancaster · 10 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (717) 392-5467

  • Tenfold

    308 E King St, Lancaster · 10 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 6 more
    (717) 397-5182

  • Community Progress Council, Inc.

    226 E College Ave, York · 13 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (717) 846-4600

Every agency in Lancaster County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near Columbia

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Columbia

HUD’s record names them for Columbia or Lancaster County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Lancaster County Housing Authority Section 8 vouchers (717) 394-0793

One other authority has an office in Lancaster County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Lancaster County

These cities are also in Lancaster County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Lancaster County Housing in Pennsylvania

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Columbia, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Lancaster County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Columbia.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about Columbia

Short answers with the numbers for Columbia and all of Lancaster County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Columbia?

The typical home value in Columbia is $196,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Lancaster County it is $301,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Columbia?

Typical rent in Columbia is $1,075 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Lancaster County is $1,553.

What is the FHA loan limit in Columbia?

Columbia uses the FHA limit for all of Lancaster County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Columbia?

The typical homeowner in Columbia pays $3,732 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.9% of the home’s value; in Lancaster County, the rate is 1.32%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Columbia?

There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Lancaster County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).