Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★2.9 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Columbia, SC
Explore Columbia and see how it fits the life you want to build.
139,643
Population
Kershaw, Lexington & Richland Counties
Counties
City
Place Type
South Carolina
State
OrdinancesLocal Rules
Overall Match6.2 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Columbia at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population139,643
Median Household Income$55,529
Median Home Value$264,300
Median Gross Rent$1,204
Median Age28.6
Average Household Size2.2
Unemployment7.5%
Work From Home11.6%
Homeownership45.5%
Housing Vacancy14.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Columbia is large enough to contain meaningfully different residential, commercial and employment areas rather than functioning as one uniform market. Unemployment is elevated enough that job location and industry-specific opportunities deserve closer review.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Columbia Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Columbia →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Columbia and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Columbia
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$264,300
Median Gross Rent$1,204
Homeownership45.5%
Housing Vacancy14.4%
Home values are moderately high relative to local household income, making neighborhood-level price differences important for buyers. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Columbia, SC
Median Household Income$55,529
Unemployment7.5%
Work From Home11.6%
The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Columbia and how households are structured
Population139,643
Median Age28.6
Average Household Size2.2
Columbia is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Columbia
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Columbia point to hot summers, cool winters, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and little to no annual snowfall.
Average Summer High92.5°F
Average Winter Low33.3°F
Annual Rainfall48.7 in.
Annual Snowfall0.4 in.
Seasonal Life in Columbia
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer heat is a meaningful part of daily life. During a trial stay, pay attention to afternoon comfort, cooling use, vehicle heat and how much outdoor activity shifts toward mornings and evenings.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Winter is generally cool with limited snowfall. Heating needs still matter, but snow-related disruption should be less central than in colder markets.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
County Intelligence
Columbia & Its Counties
Medium
Foreclosure Activity
Columbia spans Kershaw, Lexington and Richland counties.
Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Columbia especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.
Current NarrowTheList data for Columbia shows a population of about 139,643. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Medium. Current signal uses NarrowTheList foreclosure-opportunity data until direct county delinquency and foreclosure datasets are connected.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Kershaw County, Lexington County and Richland County
How NarrowTheList uses it
NarrowTheList connects Columbia with all 3 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.
For someone considering a move to Columbia, the available data currently points to employment conditions that make job-specific research important. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.