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CITY

Columbia

South Carolina · 147,035 residents (2025 est.) · 138.264 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#193Largest by populationof 4,896147,035#279Youngest by median ageof 6,82628.6
The short version

Columbia has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $55,529. Population has grown 20% since 2000. 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $264,300. At a median age of 28.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
139,643
+20%since 2000
from 116,278 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,010 / sq mi
+11%since 2009
from 913 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
28.6
Unchangedsince 2000
from 28.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:147,035 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
94K106K119K131K144K1990201020202024Columbia
2024140K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(7,412)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.2%(5,855)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.1%(5,767)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1912.7%(17,774)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2416.6%(23,226)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417%(23,802)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.5%(15,994)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.8%(12,247)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 648.2%(11,483)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747%(9,745)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.5%(4,912)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1%(1,426)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,529
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,141 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,058
+107%since 2000
from $18,853 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
38.6%
+13.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
24.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 22.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.555
+4%since 2010
from 0.531 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration5.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade3.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$264,300
+50%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,204
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $536 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
45.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 45.6% in 2000
54.5% rent
Vacancy rate
14.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
−6.2 ptssince 2009
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
55.3%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
+21%since 2009
from 3.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Columbia on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic48.2%(55,993)
Black45.6%(53,052)
Hispanic / Latino3%(3,520)
Asian1.7%(1,977)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic45.7%(63,825)
Black40.1%(56,006)
Hispanic / Latino6.2%(8,651)
Asian3.2%(4,436)
Other4.8%(6,725)
Diversity Score
78
+9%since 2009
from 71 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2%(2,826)
Puerto Rican1.4%(1,894)
South American0.8%(1,145)
Central American0.7%(1,028)
Spaniard0.4%(581)
Venezuelan0.3%(482)
Honduran0.3%(456)
Colombian0.3%(448)
Cuban0.3%(371)
Dominican0.2%(303)
Guatemalan0.1%(205)
Salvadoran0.1%(138)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(106)
Peruvian0.1%(81)
Argentine0%(58)
Chilean0%(18)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(1,411)
Chinese0.5%(691)
Filipino0.4%(531)
Vietnamese0.3%(472)
Korean0.3%(352)
Pakistani0.2%(231)
Bangladeshi0.1%(181)
Taiwanese0.1%(135)
Burmese0.1%(111)
Japanese0.1%(96)
Laotian0%(59)
Cambodian0%(54)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(53)
Nepalese0%(33)
Thai0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.2%(299)
Samoan0.1%(89)
Ancestry
German8.9%(12,407)
English8.7%(12,123)
Irish7.3%(10,158)
American4.8%(6,641)
Italian3.4%(4,737)
Scotch-Irish2%(2,861)
Scottish1.9%(2,718)
West Indian1.8%(2,446)
French1.7%(2,423)
Jamaican1.3%(1,771)
Polish1.3%(1,768)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.8%(1,064)
Norwegian0.5%(726)
Welsh0.4%(601)
British0.4%(538)
Dutch0.4%(490)
Russian0.3%(480)
Greek0.3%(424)
Czech0.3%(382)
Nigerian0.3%(370)
Swedish0.3%(369)
Ukrainian0.2%(322)
Hungarian0.2%(304)
Croatian0.2%(230)
Iranian0.1%(200)
Lebanese0.1%(197)
Swiss0.1%(193)
Brazilian0.1%(144)
Canadian0.1%(140)
Armenian0.1%(133)
Haitian0.1%(115)
Palestinian0.1%(100)
Austrian0.1%(86)
Danish0.1%(77)
Lithuanian0.1%(77)
Slovak0.1%(77)
Ghanaian0%(62)
Slovene0%(59)
Finnish0%(51)
Turkish0%(46)
Latvian0%(38)
Israeli0%(32)
Belgian0%(30)
Iraqi0%(23)
Syrian0%(19)
Moroccan0%(16)
Romanian0%(12)
Serbian0%(3)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
45.9%
+10.2 ptssince 2000
from 35.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.2%
+8.9 ptssince 2000
from 82.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
21.5%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 14.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.7 min
+52%since 2000
from 11.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
63.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 64.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.0%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.6%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
14.3%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.5%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 11.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 65.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.9%
−25.6 ptssince 2009
from 70.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
5.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.1%
−41.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 11.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.7%
−79.0 ptssince 2013
from 86.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.5%
+13.3 ptssince 2017
from 75.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
91.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 92.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 4.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married58.7%(34,679)
Married32.2%(19,019)
Widowed2.2%(1,284)
Divorced6.9%(4,054)
Women 15+
Never married54.3%(33,432)
Married29.9%(18,412)
Widowed5.6%(3,456)
Divorced10.2%(6,273)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Columbia

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Pop 147,384
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Pop 149,440
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Head to head

Compare Columbia to nearby cities

COLUMBIA VS
Woodfield
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Home value$150,800−43%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
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COLUMBIA VS
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Income$78,306+41%
Home value$279,300+6%
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COLUMBIA VS
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Home value$166,800−37%
Population13,680−91%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbia, South Carolina?

Columbia, South Carolina has about 139,643 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Columbia, South Carolina?

The typical household in Columbia, South Carolina earns about $55,529 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Columbia, South Carolina expensive?

In Columbia, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $264,300, and the typical rent is about $1,204 a month.

How educated are people in Columbia, South Carolina?

About 45.9% of adults age 25 and over in Columbia, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Columbia, South Carolina?

About 24.0% of people in Columbia, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Columbia, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Columbia, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 41,591 residents, a change of about 42 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Columbia, South Carolina: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy