Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety4#14,969/15,637
Economy13#13,649/15,631
Housing23#11,578/14,977
Health38#9,606/15,609
Healthcare67#5,143/15,650
Environment61#5,988/15,453
Education59#6,470/15,649
Infrastructure56#6,832/15,650
Community32#10,647/15,651
Leisure & amenities57#6,728/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Columbia, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Richland County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New homes permitted · high22.5 /1k
96/100South Carolina 8.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Average commute time · low17.7 min
94/100South Carolina 25.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
New business applications · high19.9 /1k
89/100South Carolina 16.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauRichland County value
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRichland County value
Dentists · high93 /100k
84/100South Carolina 60 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRichland County value
Preventable hospital stays · low2,073 /100k
83/100South Carolina 2,612 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRichland County value

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.555
1/100South Carolina 0.475United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Child poverty rate · high29.8%
4/100South Carolina 18.1%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Homicide rate · high12.7 /100k
4/100South Carolina 8.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataRichland County value
Rent-burdened households · high60.0%
6/100South Carolina 52.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Poverty rate · high24.0%
6/100South Carolina 13.3%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Violent crime rate · high556 /100k
7/100South Carolina 388 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationRichland County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
12.4 /1k (2021) → 22.5 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+82%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.7% (2015-2019) → 88.5% (2020-2024)
+7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.8× (2015-2019) → 4.8× (2020-2024)
+24%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
56.3% (2015-2019) → 60.0% (2020-2024)
+3.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$47,286 (2015-2019) → $55,529 (2020-2024)
+17%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateWorsening
26.8% (2015-2019) → 29.8% (2020-2024)
+3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Columbia, South Carolina improved on 3 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Uninsured−1.2 points9.9% → 8.7%
Broadband+7.8 points80.7% → 88.5%
Household income+17%$47,286 → $55,529

Declined4

Price / income+0.9×3.8× → 4.8×
Commute+1.9 min15.8 min → 17.7 min
Rent / income+2.6 points33.4% → 36.0%
Transit use−0.9 points1.9% → 1.0%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Columbia, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.8 min2015-2019	17.7 min2020-2024	+1.9 min	Declined	28%
Bachelor's degree or higher	43.8%2015-2019	45.9%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Broadband subscriptions	80.7%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Improved	48%
Child poverty rate	26.8%2015-2019	29.8%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Effective property tax rate	0.69%2015-2019	0.60%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	34%
High school diploma or higher	89.4%2015-2019	91.2%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.8×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	25%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5482015-2019	0.5552020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	45%
Median household income	$47,2862015-2019	$55,5292020-2024	+17%	Improved	28%
Poverty rate	21.8%2015-2019	24.0%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Public transit commuters	1.9%2015-2019	1.0%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Declined	19%
Rent as share of income	33.4%2015-2019	36.0%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Declined	35%
Rent-burdened households	56.3%2015-2019	60.0%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Unemployment rate	6.7%2015-2019	7.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.9%2015-2019	8.7%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Improved	61%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Columbia, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Columbia, South Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Columbia, South Carolina itself moved −3.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

139,643 residents (±171)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (−1.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

139,643 residents (±171)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White46%63,825
Black40%56,006
Hispanic or Latino6.2%8,651
Asian3.2%4,436
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†174
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.2%†326
Other or two or more races4.5%6,225

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−3.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

79,609 residents (±1,415)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma8.8%6,982
High school or GED20%15,700
Some college18%14,534
Associate degree7.4%5,852
Bachelor's degree24%19,434
Graduate degree21%17,107

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Graduate degree (+2.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

53,076 households (±1,243)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k25%13,184
$25k–50k21%11,030
$50k–75k16%8,385
$75k–100k10%5,461
$100k–150k11%5,839
$150k–200k6.7%3,546
$200k or more11%5,631

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−4.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

53,076 households (±1,243)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own46%24,162
Rent54%28,914

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

28,124 households (±1,245)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75014%3,847
$750–1,00017%4,854
$1,000–1,50041%11,534

Home values

24,162 homes (±1,098)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k21%5,021
$150k–250k26%6,375
$250k–400k23%5,505

Age of homes

62,021 homes (±1,078)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later16%9,761
2000–200916%9,731
1980–199919%11,853

Size of homes

62,021 homes (±1,078)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio4.7%2,913
1 bedroom13%7,839
2 bedrooms32%19,551

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

69,916 workers (±1,819)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone63%44,064
Carpool7.3%5,109
Public transit1.0%†702
Walk14%9,972
Bike0.2%†149
Work from home12%8,126
Other2.6%1,794

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+8.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

61,790 workers (±1,982)

Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min45%28,051
15–29 min38%23,693
30–44 min11%6,822

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Columbia, SC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Richland County, the county holding most of Columbia's residents.

Richland County has 9,426 employer establishments, 222 for every 10,000 residents (0.89× the US rate of 248; 0.97× South Carolina's), with 169,733 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,671. The Census Bureau also counts 36,669 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,426; 36,669 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 222; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 169,733
Average annual pay: $52,671; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Richland County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	752	17.7	0.85×About typical	11,483	$81,955	1,784
Restaurants and other eating places	746	17.6	0.96×About typical	17,143	$19,575	189
Lessors of real estate	512	12.1	0.98×About typical	2,285	$67,258	3,761
Legal services	421	9.9	1.84×More than typical	3,560	$93,743	363
Specialty trade contractors	362	8.5	0.55×Fewer than typical	4,526	$62,820	1,526
Limited-service restaurants	353	8.3	1.04×About typical	8,007	$17,707	75
Religious organizations	322	7.6	1.37×More than typical	3,177	$26,922	—
Full-service restaurants	320	7.5	0.98×About typical	8,018	$21,908	74
Services to buildings and dwellings	281	6.6	0.98×About typical	3,017	$29,906	2,317
Insurance agencies and brokerages	227	5.3	1.22×About typical	1,615	$86,833	682
Offices of physicians	210	4.9	0.76×Fewer than typical	6,131	$110,009	292
Offices of other health practitioners	204	4.8	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,118	$46,388	713

Rank places for an industry Open Richland County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 424,872 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $197.8M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Columbia, South Carolina: $1,416 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $197.8M; −27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,416; US $2,007
Sole-source: 36%; US 30%
Single offer: 20%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$104.5M53%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$37.4M19%
Defense Logistics Agency$18.5M9.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs$12.3M6.2%
Department of the Navy$10.5M5.3%
Office of Procurement Operations$3.5M1.8%
Railroad Retirement Board$2.7M1.4%
Defense Commissary Agency$2M1.0%

Top recipients

SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR BLIND$53.3M27%
PALMETTO GBA, LLC$39.9M20%
INTEGER TECHNOLOGIES LLC$8.2M4.2%
DOMINION PRIVATIZATION SOUTH CAROLINA LLC$7.7M3.9%
THE BUILDING PEOPLE LLC$6.1M3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

273.8MFY2017
209.7MFY2018
177.4MFY2019
170.7MFY2020
231.7MFY2021
226.7MFY2022
269.8MFY2023
453M

Top industries (NAICS)

Special food services · 7223$53.3M27%
Insurance carriers · 5241$34M17%
Facilities support services · 5612$15.4M7.8%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$12.2M6.2%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$8.8M4.5%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$7.7M

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Columbia, South Carolina

CONSTRUCT RECEPTION COMPLEX PHASE 2 AT FT. JACKSON, SC$162.2M
BL HARBERT INTERNATIONAL LLC· Richland County, SC· Construction & real property· Sep 26, 2024 – Jun 11, 2026· W912HP24C2000
UTILITY PRIVATIZATION OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION AND WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM AT FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA. SERVICES RECEIVED INCLUDE OPERATIONS&MAINTENANCE, RENEWALS&REPLACEMENTS, AND PERFORMING INITIAL CAPITAL UPGRADES TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS.$105.6M
PALMETTO STATE UTILITY SERVICES, INC.· Richland County, SC· Facilities & utilities· Oct 12, 2016 – Apr 28, 2026· SP060007C8251
BASE: CONSTRUCTION RECEPTION COMPLEX PHASE I$82.5M
J KOKOLAKIS CONTRACTING INC· Richland County, SC· Construction & real property· Apr 5, 2021 – Jun 3, 2026

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Columbia, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Columbia, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Richland County, SC and Lexington County, SC ($833.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 24% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Columbia is mostly in Richland County.

See federal money in Richland County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Columbia, South Carolina is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Richland County55100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Columbia, SC54

Other cities and towns in Richland County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4516000

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends