Columbia is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to about 10,278 people across 2.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 17512.
Homes sold for a median of $169 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Columbia; also West Hempfield and Manor
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 | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)60 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lancaster Airport (LNS)12 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Baltimore, MD51 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA72 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 10,207 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.
It’s the 256th largest of 2,568 towns in Pennsylvania by population.
Lancaster County grew from 159,241 residents in 1900 to 552,984 in 2020.
Lancaster County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 19°F. About 45.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 23 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Landisville 2 Nw, PA weather station (6 miles away).
249,379 jobs at 13,776 businesses in Lancaster County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
67 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Columbia.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 15 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 13 |
| Mental health providers | 23 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
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.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
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 1788.
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 Columbia Borough SD. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park El SchColumbia | K–4 | 511 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Columbia MS Taylor CampusColumbia | 5–6 | 202 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Columbia MS Hill CampusColumbia | 7–8 | 202 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Columbia HSColumbia | 9–12 | 397 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of the Angels SchoolColumbia | Pre-K–8 | 97 | Roman Catholic | 0.9 mi |
| Prospect Grove High SchoolColumbia | 9–12 | 18 | Nonsectarian | 1.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with West Hempfield, Manor and Rapho.
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.