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South Carolina city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Columbia?

What it costs to live in Columbia, and how it compares with other South Carolina cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

24

36th best value in South Carolina

How much you get for what you pay, versus other South Carolina cities.

Overall livability

37

28th overall in South Carolina

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Columbia is home to about 137,276 people. A typical home runs $193,100 and a household earns around $48,800, a price-to-income ratio of 4.0. Among South Carolina's largest cities, it ranks 36th for value and 28th overall.

Columbia at a glance

Median home price

$193,100

31st in SC of 39

Median rent

$1,007/mo

Median household income

$48,800

Home price to income

4.0x

Unemployment

7.3%

32nd in SC of 39

School rating

3/10

25th in SC of 39

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in SC of 39

Walk score

16/100

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‹ See all top South Carolina cities ranked  ยท  South Carolina state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within South Carolina only. Updated 2026.