| Chattahoochee Valley | |
| Official Name: | Columbus–Auburn–Opelika, GA–AL Combined Statistical Area |
| Settlement Type: | Combined Statistical Area |
| Map Alt: | Map of Columbus, GA–AL Area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Georgia Alabama |
| Subdivision Type2: | Largest city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Columbus, GA |
| Subdivision Type3: | Other city |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2,786.1 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 328,883 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Area Code: | 706, 762, 334 |
The Columbus metropolitan area, officially the Columbus metropolitan statistical area, and colloquially known as the Chattahoochee Valley, is a metropolitan statistical area consisting of six counties in the U.S. state of Georgia and one county in Alabama, anchored by the city of Columbus.
At the 2020 U.S. census, the Columbus area had a population of 328,883; in 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the Columbus MSA's population to be 324,110.[1]
The Columbus metropolitan area is a component of the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika (GA-AL) combined statistical area, a trading and marketing region. It is split between the eastern time zone, the time zone of the Georgia metropolitan counties, and central time zone, the time zone of Russell County, Alabama. The Columbus metropolitan area is one of two metropolitan areas split between multiple time zones, with the other being the Chattanooga metropolitan area in Tennessee.
Located in West Georgia, the metropolitan area consists of counties in both Georgia and Alabama: Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, and Muscogee counties in Georgia; and Russell County, Alabama. In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau revised the official area definition of the Columbus metropolitan area. Two additional Georgia counties, Stewart and Talbot, were included in all statistics of the 2020 decennial census and in all annual population estimates after 2018.[2]
According to the 2000 United States census, there were 281,768 people, 103,982 households, and 72,632 families residing within the MSA.[3] In 2010, its population grew to 296,506,[4] and at the 2020 census, its population was 328,883; the 2022 U.S. census estimates numbered 324,110.
In 2000, the racial and ethnic makeup of the Columbus metropolitan area was 54.56% White, 40.21% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.02% of the population. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the metropolitan area's racial and ethnic makeup was 43% White, 41% Black or African American, 2% Asian, 5% multiracial, and 8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[5]
In 2000, the median income for a household in the MSA was $35,262, and the median income for a family was $40,065. Males had a median income of $29,196 versus $22,834 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $16,410. In 2022, the median household income was $54,106 with a per capita income of $30,287. An estimated 18.5% of the metropolitan population lived at or below the poverty line.