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Columbia, SC

144,281 Population
138.5 square miles 1,041.8 people per square mile

Census data: ACS 2024 1-year unless noted

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Demographics

28.4 ±1.4 Median age
  • about three-quarters of the figure in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 38 ±0.4
  • about two-thirds of the figure in South Carolina: 40.7 ±0.2
  • about three-quarters of the figure in United States: 39.2 ±0.1

Economics

$37,951 ±$3,422 Per capita income
  • about the same as the amount in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: $38,757 ±$1,055
  • a little less than the amount in South Carolina: $40,195 ±$511
  • about 80 percent of the amount in United States: $45,256 ±$100
$55,233 ±$5,024 Median household income
  • about 80 percent of the amount in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: $70,788 ±$2,496
  • about three-quarters of the amount in South Carolina: $72,350 ±$959
  • about two-thirds of the amount in United States: $81,604 ±$128

23.8% ±4.5% (28,844  ±5,450) Persons below poverty line
  • more than 1.5 times the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 13.8% 115,995 (±1.3% / ±11,066)
  • more than 1.5 times the rate in South Carolina: 13.3% 707,939 (±0.5% / ±25,914)
  • about double the rate in United States: 12.2% 40,354,268 (±0.1% / ±248,561)

17.7 minutes ±0.8 (1,092,270  ±63,507) Mean travel time to work * ACS 2024 5-year data
  • about two-thirds of the figure in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 25 8,919,745 (±0.4 / ±157,507)
  • about two-thirds of the figure in South Carolina: 25.6 55,008,796 (±0.1 / ±398,882)
  • about two-thirds of the figure in United States: 26.4 3,569,606,700 (±0 / ±5,719,373)

Families

56,847 ±2,738 Number of households
  • the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 351,807 ±3,777
  • South Carolina: 2,222,890 ±11,062
  • United States: 132,737,144 ±140,273
2.1 ±0.1 (120,395  ±387) Persons per household
  • about 90 percent of the figure in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 2.4 841,684 (±0 / ±2,245)
  • about 90 percent of the figure in South Carolina: 2.4 5,338,044
  • about 80 percent of the figure in United States: 2.5 331,722,430

2.3% ±1.1% (1,039  ±487) Women 15-50 who gave birth during past year
  • about two-thirds of the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 3.5% † 7,467 (±0.7% / ±1,548)
  • about two-fifths of the rate in South Carolina: 5.4% 67,181 (±0.5% / ±5,987)
  • about half the rate in United States: 5% 3,971,434 (±0.1% / ±36,997)

Housing

64,975 ±3,078 Number of housing units
  • the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 389,137 ±1,567
  • South Carolina: 2,531,310 ±358
  • United States: 146,740,960 ±8,590

$287,600 ±$29,473 Median value of owner-occupied housing units
  • a little higher than the amount in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: $270,400 ±$6,492
  • a little less than the amount in South Carolina: $299,500 ±$3,303
  • about 80 percent of the amount in United States: $360,600 ±$618

27.9% ±4.3% (39,937  ±6,117) Moved since previous year
  • more than double the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 13.1% 113,048 (±1.2% / ±9,975.4)
  • more than double the rate in South Carolina: 12.3% 668,017 (±0.4% / ±24,046)
  • more than double the rate in United States: 11.8% 39,597,955 (±0.1% / ±197,294.9)

Social

92.8% ±5.7% (74,680  ±5,526.1) High school grad or higher
  • about the same as the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 91.5% 534,808 (±2.3% / ±13,394.9)
  • about the same as the rate in South Carolina: 91% 3,479,792 (±0.8% / ±31,588.2)
  • a little higher than the rate in United States: 89.9% 212,133,683 (±0.1% / ±286,969.9)
47.7% ±4.6% (38,400  ±4,029.4) Bachelor's degree or higher
  • about 1.3 times the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 37.2% 217,192 (±1.5% / ±8,557.5)
  • about 1.4 times the rate in South Carolina: 33.3% 1,275,289 (±0.5% / ±18,834.7)
  • about 1.3 times the rate in United States: 36.9% 86,932,699 (±0.1% / ±187,449.9)

N/A Persons with language other than English spoken at home

8.7% ±3.4% (12,561  ±4,888) Foreign-born population
  • about 25 percent higher than the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 7.2% † 62,377 (±0.8% / ±6,808)
  • about 1.4 times the rate in South Carolina: 6.4% 351,009
  • about three-fifths of the rate in United States: 14.8% 50,234,856

6.9% ±1.7% (7,640  ±1,889) Population with veteran status
  • about 80 percent of the rate in the Columbia, SC Metro Area: 8.9% 59,491 (±0.7% / ±4,739)
  • about 90 percent of the rate in South Carolina: 8.1% 345,945 (±0.3% / ±11,931)
  • about 20 percent higher than the rate in United States: 5.9% 15,701,246 (±0% / ±75,366)
7,640 Total veterans ±1,889 5,612 Male ±1,472 2,028 Female ±1,059

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