Columbia, SC Profile: Facts & Data

The City of Columbia is the 2nd largest city in South Carolina with a population of 141,291 as of July 1, 2024. 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).

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.

Columbia, SC Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2024)

POPULATION
Total Population	141,291 (100%)
Population in Households	116,356 (82.4%)
Population in Families	75,195 (53.2%)
Population in Group Quarters¹	24,935 (17.6%)
Population Density	1,022
Diversity Index²	65


INCOME
Median Household Income	$54,985
Average Household Income	$88,524
% of Income for Mortgage⁴	31%
Per Capita Income	$37,073
Wealth Index⁵	70
Socioeconomic Status Index⁶	Moderate (46.7)

HOUSING
Total HU (Housing Units)	64,179 (100%)
Owner Occupied HU	26,789 (41.7%)
Renter Occupied HU	29,517 (46.0%)
Vacant Housing Units	7,873 (12.3%)
Median Home Value	$272,574
Average Home Value	$350,694
Housing Affordability Index³	81

HOUSEHOLDS
Total Households	56,306
Average Household Size	2.07
Family Households	26,057
Average Family Size	3.00

NOTES

Group Quarters - a place where people live or stay in a group living arrangement. Includes college residents halls, nursing facilities, military barracks, and correctional facilities.
The Diversity Index is a scale of 0 to 100 that represents the likelihood that two persons, chosen at random from the same area, belong to different races or ethnic groups. If an area's entire population belongs to one race AND one ethnic group, then the area has zero diversity. An area's diversity index increases to 100 when the population is evenly divided into two or more race/ethnic groups.
The Housing Affordability Index base is 100 and represents a balance point where a resident with a median household income can normally qualify to purchase a median price home. Values above 100 indicate increased affordability, while values below 100 indicate decreased affordability.
The % of Income for Mortgage quantifies the percentage of median household income dedicated to mortgage payments on a home priced at the median value (assuming a 30-year mortgage and a 20% down payment).
The Wealth Index is based on a number of indicators of affluence including average household income and average net worth, but it also includes the value of material possessions and resources. It represents the wealth of the area relative to the national level. Values above or below 100 represent above-average wealth or below-average wealth compared to the national level.
The Socioeconomic Index ranges from zero (lowest relative status) to 100 (highest relative status). This measure quantifies disparities in social position of an area's inhabitants and is built from a broad range of demographic, housing, and socioeconomic inputs. More information on this measure can be found in Esri's SEI tutorial.

Columbia, SC - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

The table below compares Columbia to the other 475 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in South Carolina by rank and percentile using July 1, 2024 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.

GROWTH RATE / YEAR	2020-2024	2024-2029
Population	0.60%	0.28%
Households	0.96%	0.73%
Families		0.57%
Median Household Income		3.62%
Per Capita Income		3.57%
Owner Occupied HU		1.55%

Variable Description	Rank	Percentile
Total Population	# 2	100th
Population Density	# 134	72nd
Median Household Income	# 210	56th
Housing Affordability Index	# 113	24th
Per Capita Income	# 117	76th
Diversity Index	# 68	86th

Columbia, SC Profile: Facts & Data

Columbia, South Carolina - Basic Facts

Columbia, SC Data & Demographics (As of July 1, 2024)

POPULATION

INCOME

HOUSING

HOUSEHOLDS

GROWTH RATE / YEAR

Columbia, SC - Peer Comparisons by Rank and Percentile

Columbia, SC - Most Popular Things to Do

Use HTL Address Research for a South Carolina Address and get...

Quick & Easy Ways to...

South Carolina Census Data Comparison Tool

Richland County