What is the current population and demographic profile of West Columbia TX?
Executive summary
Sources disagree slightly but converge on a small city of roughly 3,600–3,700 residents in Brazoria County: World Population Review reports 3,604 and Texas-Demographics projects 3,673 for 2025, while DataUSA and several local-data sites show roughly 3,631–3,644 in recent years [1] [2] [3] [4]. Racial and ethnic breakdowns differ by source but commonly show a plurality White population, a sizable Black population (about 13–20%), and a Hispanic share ranging from about 24% to nearly 40% depending on the dataset [5] [6] [2].
1. Population total: multiple estimates, same small-city story
No single authoritative, up‑to‑the‑minute federal count exists in these sources; instead private aggregators and local pages give slightly different totals around the mid‑3,600s. World Population Review lists 3,604 for 2025 [1], Texas‑Demographics projects 3,673 for 2025 [2], DataUSA records roughly 3.63k in 2023 and notes a small decline from 2022 to 2023 (3,641 → 3,631) [3], and Wikipedia cites the official 2020 census population of 3,644 [4]. The pattern is clear: West Columbia is a small city with population fluctuations but no recent explosive growth [4] [3].
2. Racial and ethnic composition: consistent themes, varying percentages
Sources differ on exact percentages but agree on a mixed profile: a White plurality, a notable Black or African‑American minority, and a meaningful Hispanic or Latino population. Census‑derived maps show about 55.7% White, 15.5% Black, 24.8% Hispanic (racial categories sometimes treat Hispanic as an ethnicity and sometimes overlap), while other compilations report White shares from the mid‑40s to high‑50s and Hispanic shares from ~24% up to ~40% depending on methodology [5] [2] [6]. The variation reflects different data vintages and whether Hispanic is counted as a separate category or as an ethnicity crossing racial lines [5] [6].
3. Age, income and household context: median age and income indicators
DataUSA’s profile gives a median age of 36.4 and reports a 2023 median household income of $41,985, noting notable year‑to‑year changes in their dataset [3]. NeighborhoodScout and other private services offer deeper socio‑economic snapshots (education, employment, household income distribution), but their numbers are modelled and proprietary rather than raw Census releases [7]. These indicators describe a working‑class small city with median age near national norms and incomes that private aggregators portray as modest [3] [7].
4. Density and geography: compact city footprint
Multiple sources give West Columbia a small land area and a relatively high density for a small Texas city. City‑data reports a land area around 2.56 square miles and a population density roughly in the 1,400–1,660 people per square mile range depending on which population estimate is used [8]. ZIP‑level products cover a much larger area (including East Columbia) and therefore report much larger populations and lower densities for the ZIP code than for the city limits; zip‑based counts should not be conflated with city limits [9].
5. Why sources disagree: methodology, geography, vintage
Discrepancies stem from: (a) different reference dates — 2020 Census vs annual estimates and 2025 projections [4] [1] [2]; (b) whether the figure refers to city limits or the broader ZIP code area [9]; and (c) proprietary modeling by private firms that reweight or project small‑sample ACS data (NeighborhoodScout, Areavibes) [7] [6]. Local municipal pages still display older figures in some cases and may not update annually [10] [11].
6. What the numbers mean locally: politics, services and planning
A population around 3,600 implies a municipal scale where local budgets, schools and services are sensitive to small numeric shifts. DataUSA’s poverty and income notes and the historical population swings reported by Texas historical sources suggest West Columbia’s economy and demographics have been shaped by agriculture and oil booms and declines over time [3] [4] [12]. Planners should use the U.S. Census and American Community Survey for programmatic decisions and treat private‑sector projections as useful but not definitive [4] [7].
Limitations and next steps: these results are drawn from the supplied sources; for a definitive, current population and demographic table use the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program or the city’s official planning documents — available sources do not mention a single definitive post‑2023 federal estimate in this collection and local figures vary [3] [1] [2].