METRO AREA
Columbia Metro
Columbia, SC · 6 counties · 879,918 residents (2025 est.) · 3,703 sq mi
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The short version
With 849,181 people, Columbia is a metro area. Growth has run 31% since 2000, or 202,023 more people. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $232,186. 6% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Median household income is $68,275, under the $82,259 national median. 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $68,275, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Columbia
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$165,050 → $232,186 (+41%)US over the same years: +67%
Among the 14 metro and micro areas based in South Carolina
- 5th in household income$68,275
- 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree35.6%
- 7th in home value$232,186
- 3rd in diversity score69.2
Section 01
Population & growth
849,181
+31%since 2000
from 647,158 in 2000
879,918 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
3,703 sq mi
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
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
36
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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
1990 – 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
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 74.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.8%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
15.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
4.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 3.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 70.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.7%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 33.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)34.5%(20,990)
Gulf War (1990s)32.1%(19,523)
Vietnam era27.6%(16,815)
Korean War2.8%(1,689)
World War II0.5%(283)
Share of the 60,825 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
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 548,335 | $70,631 | $165,050 | 22.9% | 52.1 |
| 2000 | 647,158 | $74,313 | $163,989 | 26.7% | 63.0 |
| 2010 | 767,598 | $69,293 | $195,894 | 30.4% | 68.5 |
| 2020 | 829,470 | $68,783 | $193,374 | 33.4% | 74.2 |
| 2024 | 849,181 | $68,275 | $232,186 | 35.6% | 69.2 |
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.
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
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Pop 874,790
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Pop 888,699
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Pop 927,068
Albuquerque
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Compare Columbia side by side
COLUMBIA VS
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Income$65,978−3%
Home value$266,500+15%
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COLUMBIA VS
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Income$70,666+4%
Home value$240,565+4%
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COLUMBIA VS
Bakersfield
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Home value$338,300+46%
Population927,068+5%
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COLUMBIA VS
Albuquerque
Income$71,241+4%
Home value$288,193+24%
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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