Columbia is a city in Adair County, Kentucky, home to about 4,808 people across 4.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 42728.
Homes sold for a median of $131 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Columbia. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Columbia’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)77 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY75 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL351 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Columbia; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Columbia had 4,845 residents in the 2020 census, up 21% since 2000.
It’s the 89th largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.
Adair County grew from 14,888 residents in 1900 to 18,903 in 2020.
Adair County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 25°F. About 57 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 5 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jamestown Wwtp, KY weather station (14 miles away).
4,066 jobs at 331 businesses in Adair County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
127 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Columbia.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 43 |
| Mental health providers | 59 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 14 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1802.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Adair County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County Primary CenterColumbia | Pre-K–2 | 604 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Adair County Elementary SchoolColumbia | 3–5 | 550 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Adair Learning AcademyColumbia | 5–12 | 67 | Alternative Education | 3.1 mi |
| Adair County Middle SchoolColumbia | 6–8 | 559 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Adair County High SchoolColumbia | 9–12 | 805 | Public | 3.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.