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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Columbia Metro

Columbia, SC · 6 counties · 548,335 residents · 3,703 sq mi
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The short version

Columbia is home to 548,335 people. Median home value sits at $68,769. There are 98,823 fewer people here than in 2000. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median household income is $29,429, close to the national figure.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.7
US median: 33.0
More educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
548,335
−15%vs 2000
vs 647,158 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
148 / sq mi
−15%vs 2000
vs 175 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
31.7
−8%vs 2000
vs 34.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
3,703 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
518K609K699K789K879K19902000201020202024Columbia
2024849K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57%(38,282)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97%(38,267)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147%(38,191)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198.3%(45,761)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.5%(46,373)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.5%(101,352)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4416.1%(88,055)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.2%(55,866)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.7%(42,280)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.2%(33,977)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.9%(15,758)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.8%(4,173)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$29,429
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $40,794 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$13,100
−35%vs 2000
vs $20,262 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
12.6%
+0.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 12.4% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$68,769
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $90,022 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$402
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $537 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
68.1%
−1.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 70.0% in 2000
31.9% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic66.6%(365,001)
Black32%(175,234)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(5,997)
Asian0.8%(4,613)
Other0.6%(3,487)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
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)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(198)
Nepalese0%(153)
Cambodian0%(142)
Laotian0%(141)
Malaysian0%(17)
Kazakh0%(10)
Uzbek0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(659)
Samoan0%(103)
Fijian0%(68)
Tongan0%(6)
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)
Moroccan0%(353)
Serbian0%(341)
Ethiopian0%(321)
Armenian0%(302)
Slovene0%(234)
Turkish0%(222)
Israeli0%(189)
Egyptian0%(181)
Australian0%(173)
Syrian0%(170)
Kenyan0.1%(165)
Guyanese0%(123)
Latvian0%(105)
Jordanian0%(104)
Barbadian0%(71)
Bulgarian0%(36)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.9%
−3.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 26.7% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
76.0%
−6.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 82.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
7.7%
−1.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 9.2% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.9 min
+25%vs 2000
vs 15.9 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.8%
−5.5 ptssince 2013
from 14.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.3%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 56.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.7%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.1%(19,523)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.6%(16,815)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.8%(1,689)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(283)
US avg: 1%

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
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

Richland CountyCENTRAL434,956Lexington CountyCENTRAL317,588Kershaw County73,166Fairfield County20,340Saluda County19,680Calhoun County14,188
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 Columbia
Head to head

Compare Columbia side by side

COLUMBIA VS
Lakeland
Income$65,978+124%
Home value$266,500+288%
Population874,790−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Baton Rouge
Income$70,666+140%
Home value$240,565+250%
Population888,699+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Bakersfield
Income$70,210+139%
Home value$338,300+392%
Population927,068+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COLUMBIA VS
Albuquerque
Income$71,241+142%
Home value$288,193+319%
Population925,279+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbia, SC?

Columbia, SC has about 548,335 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Columbia, SC?

The typical household in Columbia, SC earns about $29,429 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 $68,769, and the typical rent is about $402 a month.

How educated are people in Columbia, SC?

About 22.9% 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 12.6% of people in Columbia, SC live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →