| | Columbus, NC | Chapel Hill, NC | United States |
| Population | 1,139 | 60,920 | 329,725,481 |
| Female Population | 54.6% | 52.8% | 50.5% |
| Male Population | 45.4% | 47.2% | 49.5% |
| Median Age | 54.2 | 25 | 38.4 |
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| Population - 2010 | 993 | 57,407 | 309,327,143 |
| Population - 2000 | 992 | 48,715 | 285,036,114 |
| Population - 1990 | 812 | 38,719 | 251,960,433 |
| Pop. 2000 to Now | 1.5% | 30.8% | 15.6% |
| Pop. 1990 to Now | 24.0% | 64.5% | 30.8% |
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| Population Density | 320.2 | 2,828.9 | 93.4 |
| Land Area | 3.6 | 21.5 | 3,531,905.4 |
| Water Area | 0.0 | 0.2 | 264,836.8 |
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| Est. Total Population By Age | | | |
| | Columbus, NC | Chapel Hill, NC | United States |
| Age 0 to 4 | 4.6% | 3.5% | 5.9% |
| Age 5 to 9 | 5.6% | 4.3% | 6.1% |
| Age 10 to 14 | 5.6% | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Age 15 to 17 | 2.3% | 3.5% | 3.9% |
| Age 18 to 20 | 0.1% | 18.9% | 4.0% |
| Age 21 to 24 | 4.7% | 14.2% | 5.2% |
| Age 25 to 34 | 11.2% | 11.3% | 13.8% |
| Age 35 to 44 | 5.6% | 9.3% | 12.9% |
| Age 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 12.6% |
| Age 55 to 59 | 9.2% | 4.4% | 6.7% |
| Age 60 to 64 | 9.1% | 3.4% | 6.3% |
| Age 65 to 74 | 15.9% | 6.5% | 9.6% |
| Age 75 to 84 | 9.8% | 3.1% | 4.5% |
| Age 85 and over | 4.0% | 1.4% | 1.9% |
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| Race | | | |
| | Columbus, NC | Chapel Hill, NC | United States |
| White | 76.6% | 65.5% | 59.4% |
| Black | 2.7% | 10.4% | 12.2% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 12.8% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 1.4% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 3.0% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic | 15.5% | 6.8% | 18.4% |
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| Marriage & Family | | | |
| | Columbus, NC | Chapel Hill, NC | United States |
| Married Population | 54.3% | 36.1% | 49.8% |
| Currently Married | 54.0% | 35.2% | 48.0% |
| Married but Separated | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.8% |
| Single Population | 45.7% | 63.9% | 50.2% |
| Never Married | 21.6% | 55.4% | 33.8% |
| Divorced | 14.1% | 6.1% | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 10.0% | 2.4% | 5.6% |
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| Household Size | 2.15 | 2.46 | 2.60 |
| Households | 523 | 20,114 | 124,010,992 |
| Family Households | 331 | 10,637 | 80,755,759 |
| Married couple, w/children | 21.1% | 39.7% | 30.5% |
| Married couple, no children | 57.1% | 41.5% | 42.9% |
| Non Family Households | 192 | 9,477 | 43,255,233 |
| Single householder, w/children | 14.8% | 10.2% | 15.8% |
| Single householder, no children | 6.9% | 8.7% | 10.8% |