Columbia County housing scorecard.
Everything the paid data sites charge for, free and built for Florida: home value, rent, cap rate, 5-year growth, price versus incomes, overvaluation and our 0 to 100 Momentum Market Score, from Zillow, Realtor.com and Census data.
At about 4.99 times the local median income, prices sit close to the Florida norm. Gross rent yield is around 6.75%. Values are up roughly 5.8% a year over the last five years. Owning the typical home at today's 6.52% 30-year rate takes about 30.3% of a median income in principal and interest, the affordability squeeze in one number. Add the average Citizens homeowners premium (about $84 a month) and property taxes (about $115 a month) and the monthly cost to own runs near $1,591. About 24.7% of listings have cut their price.
Columbia County housing market, in one paragraph
As of 2026-08-01, in Columbia County, the typical home is worth $274,669; up about 5.8% a year over five years; typical rent is about $1,546 a month; the Momentum Market Score is 54/100 (neither side has a clear edge right now); the market looks fairly valued; the average Citizens insurance premium is about $1,009 a year. Data from Zillow, Realtor.com, the U.S. Census and Citizens Property Insurance; scores by Momentum Realty.
Typical home value, last 13 months
Ten years ago the typical home here was about $128,162; today it is $274,669.
Where Columbia sits
Open the full Florida market map →Columbia vs Florida average
| Metric | Columbia | FL avg |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-value score | 54 | 50 |
| Typical home value | $274,669 | $336,033 |
| Price cuts | 24.7% | 24.6% |
| Income to own | 30.3% | 30.9% |
| Cost to own / mo | $1,591/mo | $2,005/mo |
Green = the more buyer-friendly figure. “FL avg” is the unweighted mean across all 67 Florida counties. “Income to own” is principal & interest only; “cost to own” adds the average Citizens homeowners premium and property taxes at the current 6.52% 30-year rate, 20% down.
Quick answers: is now a good time to buy in Columbia County, is it overvalued, and more.
Run the numbers for Columbia County: true monthly cost · rental underwrite · insurance check · property tax · compare vs another county.
What drives the score
Each bar is this county ranked against every other Florida county (0 = lowest, 100 = highest) on that input, then weighted into the score. Higher overall = more buyer value and leverage. See the full methodology.
Momentum scores for Columbia
Three composite reads, each built from the labeled components below it (0 = lowest in Florida, 100 = highest). Every input is public and the formula is published, unlike the paywalled black-box versions elsewhere.
10-year upside from appreciation, incomes, demographics, affordability and valuation.
Rental-investor attractiveness from yield, rent growth, appreciation, demographics and valuation.
Near-term price direction signal from recent appreciation, days on market, inventory and price cuts. A momentum read, not a guaranteed forecast.
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Free housing data from Momentum Realty · Zillow, Realtor.com, Census & FRED sources.
Housing stock and economy in Columbia
Housing tenure, vacancy, financing, education and remote work. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year. These figures describe the housing stock and economy of an area, not its residents. Momentum Realty does not steer buyers or sellers and complies fully with the Fair Housing Act.
Who is moving in and out of Columbia
In 2022 to 2023, Columbia County saw 2,024 households move in and 1,736 move out, a net of +288 households (+650 people). The households arriving reported about $54,302 in average income versus $46,588 for those leaving, so Columbia is pulling in higher earners. Net, +$29M of annual income moved into the county.
Households approximate tax returns; people approximate exemptions; income is total adjusted gross income. Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023.
Property insurance in Columbia
Citizens, Florida's state-backed insurer of last resort, now covers 274 homes in Columbia County at an average premium of about $1,009 a year. That is roughly 0.9% of the county's housing units on the state plan, a direct read on how far private insurers have pulled back.
Figures cover Citizens Property Insurance (the state insurer of last resort), not the whole market, so they understate total private-market premiums while precisely tracking where coverage has become hardest to get. Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Policies in Force by County, April 2026.
New construction pipeline in Columbia
In 2025, builders pulled permits for 182 new homes in Columbia County: 174 single-family and 8 in multifamily buildings. That is up 2.2% from the year before. At 2.6 permits per 1,000 residents, new supply here is below the Florida pace.
New homes permitted, 2021 to 2025
Privately-owned residential units authorized by building permits, reported plus imputed. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025.
ZIP-level scorecards in Columbia County
Zoom in from the county to any ZIP for its own home value, cap rate, overvaluation and buyer-value score (4 scored ZIP codes, highest score first):
Housing distress & ownership in Columbia
Who owns here, how much is not owner-occupied, and how much for-sale inventory is under distress.
Source: Momentum Realty Research. Ownership & parcels from the FL DOR 2025 tax roll; distress from MLS active-listing status/remarks; price from MLS closed sales. Based on Stellar MLS data distributed by MLS GRID for the period August 2026 through August 2026. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Go deeper
Compare nearby counties:
Common questions
Is Columbia County a buyer's or seller's market?
By our Momentum Market Score, Columbia County reads balanced (54 out of 100), meaning it is neither side has a clear edge right now. The score blends value versus local incomes, price cuts, inventory growth, affordability and rent yield.
How much is a home worth in Columbia County?
The typical home value is $274,669 (Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-08-01), up about 5.8% a year over the last five years.
Is Columbia County housing overvalued or undervalued?
On price versus the local long-term trend and incomes, Columbia County looks fairly valued, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.99x. Overvaluation compares the current typical value to its own historical relationship with local income, not to other markets.
How much is homeowners insurance in Columbia County?
The average Citizens Property Insurance premium in Columbia County is about $1,009 a year. Citizens is Florida's insurer of last resort, so its county average is a realistic floor; private quotes vary by roof age, elevation and flood zone. Insurance is now one of the largest line items in a Florida housing budget.
Is Columbia County a good place to invest in rental property?
The gross rent yield (cap-rate proxy) in Columbia County is about 6.75%, on a typical home value of $274,669 and typical rent near $1,546 a month. Run the full numbers, including taxes and insurance, in our Florida investment property calculator.
Where does this data come from?
Home values and rent are from Zillow Research, days on market and listings from Realtor.com, income and population from the U.S. Census, mortgage rates from Freddie Mac via FRED, and insurance from Citizens Property Insurance. Derived metrics and the Momentum Market Score are computed by Momentum Realty with a published methodology.
Data: Zillow Research (home value, rent), Realtor.com (days on market, listings), U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, population), and Freddie Mac 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average [MORTGAGE30US] via FRED (rate). Momentum Market Score and derived metrics computed by Momentum Realty.
Thinking about Columbia County?
A score is the 30,000-foot view. We live here. Talk to the founders about what the number means for a specific neighborhood, street, or budget.
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