Ephrata, PA vs Columbia, PA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricEphrata, PAColumbia, PA
Population13,77210,278
Median Household Income$69,735$54,437
Median Rent$1,143/mo$1,075/mo
Median Home Value$224,400$196,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)9898
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income38.8%56.9%
Poverty Rate7.9%21.4%
Unemployment Rate3.4% (county)3.4% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k122182
Property Crime Rate /100k1,3001,263
Median AQI4545
Good AQI Days /yr221221
Summer Highs84°F83°F
Winter Lows24°F21°F
Snowfall34 in/yr23 in/yr
Avg Commute22.7 min23.7 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher13.112.8
College Degree Rate23.2%17.4%
Foreign-Born %5.5%3.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.5%+0.9%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.