METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Columbia Metro

Columbia, SC · 6 counties · 647,158 residents · 3,703.09 sq mi

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The short version

Columbia has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $40,794. Population has grown 18% since 1990. Median home value is $90,022.

At a glance

Average income

near the US median

US median: $42,589

Mid-age

median age 34.5

US median: 35.2

Average education

27% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 24%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $120,530

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

647,158

+18%since 1990

from 548,335 in 1990

1990 – 2025

Population density

175 / sq mi

+18%since 1990

from 148 / sq mi in 1990

Median age

34.5

+9%since 1990

from 31.7 in 1990

US average: 35.2

Population, 1990 – 2024

2024849K

Age distribution, 2000

Under 56.5%(42,288)

US avg: 6.8%

5 to 97.1%(45,961)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.2%(46,386)

US avg: 7.3%

15 to 197.7%(49,840)

US avg: 7.2%

20 to 247.5%(48,851)

US avg: 6.7%

25 to 3414.7%(95,116)

US avg: 14.2%

35 to 4416.3%(105,741)

US avg: 16%

45 to 5414%(90,492)

US avg: 13.4%

55 to 648.4%(54,249)

US avg: 8.6%

65 to 745.8%(37,331)

US avg: 6.5%

75 to 843.6%(23,483)

US avg: 4.4%

85 and over1.1%(7,420)

US avg: 1.5%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$40,794

+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $29,429 in 1990

US average: $42,589

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$20,262

+55%since 1990

from $13,100 in 1990

US average: $21,522

Poverty rate

12.4%

−0.2 ptssince 1990

from 12.6% in 1990

US average: 12.4%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$90,022

−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $68,769 in 1990

US average: $120,530

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$537

+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990

from $402 in 1990

US average: $602

Owner-occupied

70.0%

+1.9 ptssince 1990

from 68.1% in 1990

30.0% rent

RELATED:See current rent listings in Columbia on RentDataNow

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990

White, non-Hispanic66.6%(365,001)

Black32%(175,234)

Hispanic / Latino1.1%(5,997)

Asian0.8%(4,613)

2000

White, non-Hispanic62.3%(403,452)

Black32.7%(211,528)

Hispanic / Latino2.4%(15,608)

Asian1.2%(7,920)

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)

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)

+ 8 more asian origin groups with data

Hmong0%(198)

Nepalese0%(153)

Cambodian0%(142)

Laotian0%(141)

Malaysian0%(17)

Indonesian0%(16)

Kazakh0%(10)

Uzbek0%(9)

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)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

26.7%

+3.9 ptssince 1990

from 22.9% in 1990

US average: 24.4%

High school or higher

82.2%

+6.3 ptssince 1990

from 76.0% in 1990

US average: 80.3%

Graduate degree

9.2%

+1.4 ptssince 1990

from 7.7% in 1990

US average: 8.8%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

15.9 min

−20%since 1990

from 19.9 min in 1990

US average: 17.6

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status

Men 15+

Never married30.3%(74,100)

Married59.5%(145,617)

Widowed2.2%(5,452)

Divorced7.9%(19,415)

Women 15+

Never married25.8%(69,145)

Married53.9%(144,464)

Widowed10%(26,771)

Divorced10.3%(27,471)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000

In this metro

Largest cities

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 CountyCENTRAL434,956 Lexington CountyCENTRAL317,588 Kershaw County73,166 Fairfield County20,340 Saluda County19,680 Calhoun County14,188

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Columbia, SC?

Columbia, SC has about 647,158 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Columbia, SC?

The typical household in Columbia, SC earns about $40,794 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 $90,022, and the typical rent is about $537 a month.

How educated are people in Columbia, SC?

About 26.7% 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 12.4% 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 98,823 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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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 →