Columbia, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Columbia, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 134,408 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 950.8 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 28.7 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 51,314 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Columbia grew by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 134,408 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Columbia is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 36.9% of residents. That is 15.8 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 49,624 36.9% +15.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 27,637 20.6% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 20,206 15.0% -5.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,007 12.7% -5.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Columbia and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 49.5% South Carolina 48.8%
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Economy
Columbia has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,931 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.30% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Columbia is about 19% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $154,763 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,190 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Columbia is about 10.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,190 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Columbia spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 132 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.9 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.8 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 132 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,101 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,921 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,595 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Columbia is 16 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Columbia has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.5% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Columbia has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Columbia | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.0% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Columbia, South Carolina.
How many people live in Columbia, South Carolina?
About 134,408 people live in Columbia, South Carolina, in 51,314 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 28.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Columbia, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Columbia, South Carolina has 951 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Columbia, South Carolina?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($154,763 against $55,931), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,190 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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