Using "col" and "colgroup"

col and colgroup elements can be used to as a way to apply styles (style or class attribute) to columns.

Example 3.24 - 'colgroup' element - Example 3.24 | Example 3.24 JSFiddle

 <table>
   <caption>United States Urban and Rural Populations   </caption>
   <colgroup span="1">
     <col span="1" style="background-color: lightsalmon;"/>

     <col span="2" style="background-color: wheat;"/>
   </colgroup>
   <thead>
     <tr>
       <th scope="col">Year       </th>
       <th scope="col">Percent Urban       </th>
       <th scope="col">Percent Rural       </th>     </tr>   </thead>
   <tbody>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">2010       </th>
       <td>80.3       </td>
       <td>19.7       </td>     </tr>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">2000       </th>
       <td>79.2       </td>
       <td>20.8       </td>     </tr>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">1950       </th>
       <td>64.0       </td>
       <td>36.0       </td>     </tr>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">1900       </th>
       <td>39.6       </td>
       <td>60.4       </td>     </tr>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">1850       </th>
       <td>15.4       </td>
       <td>84.6       </td>     </tr>
     <tr>
       <th scope="row">1800       </th>
       <td>6.1       </td>
       <td>93.9       </td>     </tr>   </tbody>
 </table>
United States Urban and Rural Populations
YearPercent UrbanPercent Rural
201080.319.7
200079.220.8
195064.036.0
190039.660.4
185015.484.6
18006.193.9