Early Education in Columbia County

Columbia is a rural county located in central Pennsylvania.  According to the US Census Bureau, the 2009 population was 65,111, an estimated 1.5% increase from 2000.  Approximately 80.6% of the adult population graduated high school, and nearly 15.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher education.  The main industry in the county is Manufacturing.  The median household income in 2008 was $43,399.

In Columbia County:

There are 3,224 children from birth to age five living in the county.

Risk Factors affecting children's success in school. Risk factors like those listed below can hurt a child's chances of doing well in school.

• 69.4% of children under age five live in economically at-risk families
• 12.4% of births to mothers with less than a high school education
• 20.4% of third graders scored below proficient on the 2009 PSSA reading test

Quality early education. Quality early education like the programs listed below helps children overcome risk factors and succeed in school!

Of children from birth to age five:

• 0.5% participate in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
• 11.1% participate in Keystone STARS
• 8.5% participate in Child Care Works
• 8.5% participate in Early Intervention
• 2.2% participate in Nurse-Family Partnership
• 2.9% participate in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
• 6.3% participate in federal and state Head Start
• 1.5% participate in Parent-Child Home Program
• 0.0% participate in pre-kindergarten funded PA PACT (formerly ABG)
• 0.0% participate in school-based pre-kindergarten

Download and print Columbia County's ECE profile page (PDF)

Learn more about this county by viewing the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning 2009-2010 Reach and Risk Report.

Return to the Main Early Education in Pennsylvania Page.