Columbia is home to 139,643 people in South Carolina. The median age is 28.6, younger than the US median of 38.9. Owners hold 46% of the housing stock. People stay put here: 69% were in the same home a year ago. 24.0% of people here live below the federal poverty line. 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $55,529, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 28.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 50%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Columbia
What changed most since 1990
White share53.1% → 45.7%(−7.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share2.1% → 6.2%(+4.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Columbia's population equals 33% of Richland County's. Its number of households without a car equals 50% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 46% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)39.6%(3,074)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25%(1,939)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.9%(1,937)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.3%(175)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(17)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 7,770 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Columbia, decade by decade
Columbia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
98,052
$55,720
$173,045
31.7%
66.4
2000
116,278
$56,728
$176,336
35.7%
69.8
2010
129,272
$55,057
$224,561
39.0%
72.2
2020
136,632
$57,470
$225,439
43.4%
75.9
2024
139,643
$55,529
$264,300
45.9%
77.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
