South Carolina Gazetteer
Also See: Columbia, SC ZIP Codes & ZIP Code Maps
The City of Columbia is the 2nd largest city in South Carolina with a population of 139,912 as of July 1, 2021. Columbia ranks in the upper quartile for Diversity Index when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in South Carolina. See peer rankings below.
The primary coordinate point for Columbia is located at latitude 34.0007 and longitude -81.0348 in Richland County. The formal boundaries for the City of Columbia encompass a land area of 133.06 sq. miles and a water area of 2.72 sq. miles. Richland County is in the Eastern time zone (GMT -5). The elevation is 302 feet.
While the primary coordinates for City of Columbia are located in Richland County, it should be noted that the formal boundaries for this community also extend into and Lexington County.
The City of Columbia has a C1 Census Class Code which indicates an active incorporated place that does not serve as a county subdivision equivalent. It also has a Functional Status Code of "A" which identifies an active government providing primary general-purpose functions.
South Carolina is one of 20 states where Census County Divisions (CCDs) are used for statistical tracking of subdivisions within each county. The City of Columbia is located within Columbia Division of Richland County.
POPULATION | |
|---|---|
| Total Population | 139,912 (100%) |
| Population in Households | 112,616 (80.5%) |
| Population in Families | 72,585 (51.9%) |
| Population in Group Quarters1 | 27,296 (19.5%) |
| Population Density | 1,029 |
| Diversity Index2 | 62 |
INCOME | |
| Median Household Income | $44,648 |
| Average Household Income | $72,665 |
| % of Income for Mortgage4 | 20% |
| Per Capita Income | $28,619 |
| Wealth Index5 | 68 |
HOUSING | |
|---|---|
| Total HU (Housing Units) | 59,352 (100%) |
| Owner Occupied HU | 21,901 (36.9%) |
| Renter Occupied HU | 29,491 (49.7%) |
| Vacant Housing Units | 7,960 (13.4%) |
| Median Home Value | $212,080 |
| Average Home Value | $299,362 |
| Housing Affordability Index3 | 128 |
HOUSEHOLDS | |
| Total Households | 51,392 |
| Average Household Size | 2.19 |
| Family Households | 24,260 |
| Average Family Size | 3 |
GROWTH RATE / YEAR |
2010-2021 | 2021-2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 0.52% | 0.91% |
| Households | 0.83% | 1.13% |
| Families | 0.44% | 0.84% |
| Median Household Income | 2.33% | |
| Per Capita Income | 2.17% | |
| Owner Occupied HU | 1.1% |
The table below compares Columbia to the other 397 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in South Carolina by rank and percentile using July 1, 2021 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.
| Variable Description | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | # 2 | 100th |
| Population Density | # 129 | 68th |
| Median Household Income | # 198 | 50th |
| Housing Affordability Index | # 64 | 16th |
| Per Capita Income | # 103 | 74th |
| Diversity Index | # 48 | 88th |
Additional comparisons and rankings can be made with a VERY EASY TO USE South Carolina Census Data Comparison Tool.
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