Editing Columbus, North Carolina

{{Distinguish|Columbus, Georgia|Columbus, Indiana|Columbus, Ohio|Columbus County, North Carolina}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Columbus, North Carolina
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Polk-County-Courthouse-SW-nc.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = [[Polk County Courthouse (North Carolina)|Polk County Courthouse]]
| image_flag         = Columbus, NC Town Flag.gif
| image_seal         = Seal of Columbus, North Carolina.png

<!-- Maps -->| image_map          = NCMap-doton-Columbus.PNG
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location within the state of North Carolina
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|North Carolina}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Polk County, North Carolina|Polk]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 9.76
| area_land_km2      = 9.73
| area_water_km2     = 0.03
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.77
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.76
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1060
| population_density_km2 = 108.94
| population_density_sq_mi = 282.14

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 1148
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|14|57|N|82|12|04|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 28722
| area_code          = [[Area code 828|828]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 37-13980<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2406301<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406301}}</ref>
| website            = [http://www.columbusnc.com/ www.columbusnc.com]
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}
'''Columbus''' is a town and the [[county seat]] of [[Polk County, North Carolina|Polk County]],<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |accessdate=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archivedate=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> [[North Carolina]], [[United States]]. The population was 1,060 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==
The [[Green River Plantation]], [[J. G. Hughes House]], and [[Polk County Courthouse (Columbus, North Carolina)|Polk County Courthouse]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
The town is concentrated along [[North Carolina Highway 108]], southeast of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], and  a few miles north of the North Carolina-[[South Carolina]] border.  [[U.S. Route 74 in North Carolina|U.S. Route 74]] passes through the northern part of town, and [[Interstate 26 in North Carolina|Interstate 26]] passes through the eastern section.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.8|sqmi|km2}}, all  land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 71
|1900= 334
|1910= 122
|1920= 168
|1930= 340
|1940= 390
|1950= 486
|1960= 725
|1970= 731
|1980= 727
|1990= 812
|2000= 992
|2010= 999
|2020= 1060
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Columbus racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3713980&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 19, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 842
| 79.43%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 20
| 1.89%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 4
| 0.38%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 3
| 0.28%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 1
| 0.09%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 59
| 5.57%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 131
| 12.36%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,060 people, 491 households, and 292 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 992 people, 414 households, and 238 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|559.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 442 housing units at an average density of {{convert|249.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 90.32% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.95% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.20% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.12% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.40% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 7.56% of the population.

There were 414 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.75.

The population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 38.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household was $25,469, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $19,000 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $15,587. About 9.3% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Healthcare==
[[AdventHealth Polk]] is the only hospital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://carolinapublicpress.org/66365/keeping-health-operations-going-in-a-disaster-western-nc-hospitals-two-weeks-after-helene/|title=Keeping health operations going in a disaster. Western NC hospitals two weeks after Helene.|last=Sartwell|first=Jane|date=October 10, 2024|website=[[Carolina Public Press]]|access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Columbus, North Carolina}}
* [http://www.columbusnc.com/ Official website]

{{Polk County, North Carolina}}
{{North Carolina county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Polk County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:County seats in North Carolina]]