Get paid to care for family in Columbus County
Most of the 10,700 people in Columbus County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. North Carolina Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Columbus County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 10,700
- Aged 85+
- 1,020
- Rank in NC
- 54th
- Median age
- 42.1
21% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 100 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Columbus County is a rural county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 6).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Columbus
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 10,700 people in Columbus County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than North Carolina overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 1,020 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Statewide, 2.0 million people in North Carolina are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 100 counties.
What North Carolina pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: North Carolina Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
North Carolina's programs at a glance
- CAP/DA (consumer-directed)
- Coordinated Caregiving
- CAP/C (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full North Carolina guide →
Towns and cities in Columbus County
North Carolina sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Whiteville and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Columbus County:
- Whiteville4,688
- Tabor City3,831
- Chadbourn1,528
- Lake Waccamaw1,227
- Brunswick959
- Fair Bluff728
- Sandyfield439
- Bolton383
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Columbus apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Columbus County start with North Carolina's program:
Contact a CAP/DA (or CAP/C) case management provider in your county to request a referral, and apply for NC Medicaid via ePASS or the local DSS office.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which North Carolina program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Columbus questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Columbus County?
Yes. North Carolina runs real Medicaid programs — like CAP/DA (consumer-directed) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Columbus County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Columbus County?
North Carolina doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Columbus County apply?
Families in Columbus County start with the state, not the county. Contact a CAP/DA (or CAP/C) case management provider in your county to request a referral, and apply for NC Medicaid via ePASS or the local DSS office.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Columbus County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for North Carolina: yes — spouse can be hired under CAP/Consumer-Directed, and family members including spouses can be the paid live-in 'supportive worker' under Coordinated Caregiving
How many people in Columbus County might need this?
10,700 residents of Columbus County are 65 or older and about 1,020 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. North Carolina's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Columbus do you cover?
All of Columbus County — including Whiteville, Tabor City, Chadbourn, Lake Waccamaw and Brunswick. Eligibility is set by North Carolina, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from North Carolina's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Columbus County
Start with the North Carolina caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Columbus
The counties Columbus touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
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