METRO AREA
Columbia Metro
Columbia, SC · 6 counties · 879,918 residents (2025 est.) · 3,703.09 sq mi
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The short version
Columbia has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $68,275. Population has grown 31% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $232,186.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.5
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
PEP 2025 EST:879,918 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024849K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(46,909)
5 to 96%(51,223)
10 to 146.4%(54,736)
15 to 197.3%(62,190)
20 to 247.9%(66,869)
25 to 3413.4%(113,829)
35 to 4412.8%(108,880)
45 to 5412%(102,319)
55 to 6412.4%(105,402)
65 to 749.9%(84,083)
75 to 844.6%(39,385)
85 and over1.6%(13,356)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$68,275
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,794 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
45.9%
+16.8 ptssince 2009
from 29.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.6%
Retail trade9.7%
Other services7.2%
Wholesale trade6.5%
Finance & insurance5.7%
Public administration5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical4.6%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
Education & health services1.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
Construction0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$232,186
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $90,022 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.4
+24%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
36
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-Hispanic62.3%(403,452)
Black32.7%(211,528)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(15,608)
Asian1.2%(7,920)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic53.3%(452,231)
Black33.1%(281,142)
Hispanic / Latino7%(59,692)
Asian2.3%(19,760)
Other4.3%(36,356)
69
+14%since 2009
from 61 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
42
−5%since 2020
from 45 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican3%(25,642)
Central American1.3%(11,326)
Puerto Rican1.2%(9,975)
South American0.6%(4,956)
Honduran0.6%(4,661)
Guatemalan0.4%(3,460)
Cuban0.3%(2,141)
Colombian0.2%(2,013)
Panamanian0.2%(1,312)
Dominican0.1%(1,203)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,156)
Spaniard0.1%(1,100)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(1,085)
Peruvian0.1%(563)
Nicaraguan0.1%(534)
Ecuadorian0.1%(447)
Argentine0%(317)
Bolivian0%(263)
Costa Rican0%(237)
Chilean0%(104)
Uruguayan0%(93)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(7,767)
Chinese0.4%(3,028)
Filipino0.3%(2,300)
Korean0.3%(2,044)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,487)
Bangladeshi0.1%(401)
Pakistani0.1%(398)
Burmese0.1%(371)
Japanese0%(348)
Thai0%(305)
Taiwanese0%(239)
Sri Lankan0%(200)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(659)
Native Hawaiian0%(271)
Samoan0%(103)
Fijian0%(68)
Tongan0%(6)
Guamanian0%(4)
Ancestry
English10.1%(85,911)
German9.6%(81,592)
Irish7.5%(64,062)
American6.1%(52,119)
Italian2.6%(22,413)
Scottish1.8%(15,651)
Subsaharan African1.8%(15,519)
Scotch-Irish1.8%(15,305)
French1.4%(11,660)
Polish1.3%(11,311)
West Indian0.7%(5,727)
Dutch0.5%(4,386)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.5%(4,251)
Jamaican0.4%(3,411)
Swedish0.4%(3,193)
British0.4%(3,103)
Welsh0.3%(2,842)
Norwegian0.3%(2,810)
Greek0.3%(2,319)
Russian0.3%(2,198)
French Canadian0.2%(1,898)
Swiss0.2%(1,880)
Hungarian0.2%(1,572)
Nigerian0.2%(1,550)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,470)
Danish0.2%(1,467)
Lebanese0.2%(1,265)
Czech0.1%(1,040)
Canadian0.1%(984)
Austrian0.1%(920)
Iraqi0.1%(819)
Finnish0.1%(788)
Iranian0.1%(771)
Portuguese0.1%(747)
Romanian0.1%(733)
Haitian0.1%(722)
Croatian0.1%(647)
Lithuanian0.1%(613)
Ghanaian0.1%(551)
Brazilian0.1%(441)
Belgian0.1%(427)
Slovak0%(375)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(370)
Moroccan0%(353)
Serbian0%(341)
Ethiopian0%(321)
Armenian0%(302)
Cape Verdean0%(237)
Slovene0%(234)
Turkish0%(222)
Israeli0%(189)
Egyptian0%(181)
Australian0%(173)
Syrian0%(170)
Kenyan0.1%(165)
Guyanese0%(123)
Palestinian0%(114)
Latvian0%(105)
Jordanian0%(104)
Barbadian0%(71)
Bulgarian0%(36)
Macedonian0%(26)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.5%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 82.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.2%(127,384)
Married50.1%(167,059)
Widowed2.9%(9,814)
Divorced8.7%(28,966)
Women 15+
Never married33.9%(123,065)
Married45.7%(165,791)
Widowed8.4%(30,319)
Divorced12.1%(43,915)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro
Largest cities
ColumbiaCENTRAL147,035Lexington25,729St. Andrews19,868West Columbia18,489Seven Oaks15,921Dentsville15,209Cayce13,680Oak Grove12,256Irmo12,204Red Bank11,314Forest Acres10,390Lugoff9,786Woodfield9,465Camden9,201White Knoll8,310Blythewood7,233Lake Murray of Richland7,023Batesburg-Leesville5,346Capitol View4,374East Camden4,194Winnsboro3,305Arthurtown3,272Saluda3,086Springdale2,877South Congaree2,424Pine Ridge2,346Hopkins1,985Chapin1,945St. Matthews1,827Elgin1,675
The 30 most populous of 50 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
6 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Columbia
Lakeland
Pop 874,790
Baton Rouge
Pop 888,699
Bakersfield
Pop 927,068
Albuquerque
Pop 925,279
Places similar to ColumbiaHead to head
Compare Columbia side by side
COLUMBIA VS
Lakeland
Income$65,978−3%
Home value$266,500+15%
Population874,790−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Baton Rouge
Income$70,666+4%
Home value$240,565+4%
Population888,699+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Bakersfield
Income$70,210+3%
Home value$338,300+46%
Population927,068+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Albuquerque
Income$71,241+4%
Home value$288,193+24%
Population925,279+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Columbia, SC?
Columbia, SC has about 849,181 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Columbia, SC?
The typical household in Columbia, SC earns about $68,275 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Columbia, SC expensive?
In Columbia, SC, the median home is worth about $232,186, and the typical rent is about $1,171 a month.
How educated are people in Columbia, SC?
About 35.6% of adults age 25 and over in Columbia, SC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Columbia, SC?
About 14.6% of people in Columbia, SC live below the federal poverty line.
Has Columbia, SC grown since 1990?
Yes, Columbia, SC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 300,846 residents, a change of about 55 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024