Columbia, SC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
849,181
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
37.6
0.267% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
14.5%
1.09% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$68,359
3.35% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$232,400
8.9% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
402,262
1.26% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Columbia, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.9% of the residents in Columbia, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Columbia, SC are University of South Carolina-Columbia (10,467 degrees awarded in 2023), Midlands Technical College (1,647 degrees), and Columbia International University (649 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Columbia, SC was $232,400, and the homeownership rate was 69.4%.

Most people in Columbia, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia, SC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: State Capitol Grounds, Columbia, SC
Photo by Ron Cogswell
United StatesSouth Carolina

Population & Diversity

Columbia, SC is home to a population of 849k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.76% of Columbia, SC residents were born outside of the country (48.9k people).

In 2024, there were 1.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (452k people) in Columbia, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 281k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 25.5k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%
2024 Citizenship
96.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of Columbia, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia, SC was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Columbia, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia, SC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    452k ± 827
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    281k ± 1.64k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    25.5k ± 1.59k
7.03%
Hispanic Population
59.7k people

In 2024, there were 1.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (452k people) in Columbia, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 281k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 25.5k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.03% of the people in Columbia, SC are hispanic (59.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Columbia, SC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    63,986 ± 6,172 people
  2. India
    20,779 ± 3,532 people
  3. Honduras
    17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.76%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
48.9k people
5.54%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
46.5k people

As of 2024, 5.76% of Columbia, SC residents (48.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia, SC was 5.54%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Columbia, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    20,990 ± 1,490
  2. Vietnam
    14,753 ± 765
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    11,564 ± 902

Columbia, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.42 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Columbia, SC.

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Economy

The economy of Columbia, SC employs 402k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Columbia, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (53,900 people), Retail Trade (42,862 people), and Educational Services (41,189 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($82,263), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,846), and Finance & Insurance ($59,714).

Employment

Occupations

402k
2024 Value
± 5,791
1.26%
1 Year growth
± 1.99%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia, SC grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 397k employees to 402k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia, SC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (47,601 people), Management Occupations (43,723 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (38,927 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia, SC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

402k
2024 Value
± 5,791
1.26%
1 Year growth
± 1.99%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Columbia, SC grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 397k employees to 402k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (53,900 people), Retail Trade (42,862 people), and Educational Services (41,189 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Columbia, SC, though some of these residents may live in Columbia, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$50,101
Median earning men ± $800
$39,306
Median earning women ± $952

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($71,588), Public Administration ($62,637), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($60,686).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($53,292), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,918), and Wholesale Trade ($47,922).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
Y-Axis
2.54%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,398
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 1,268
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 1,169
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $2.96M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $1.96M
    Manufacturing
  3. $1.4M
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Columbia, SC awarded 14,860 degrees. The student population of Columbia, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 21,370 male students and 32,947 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia, SC are White (9,360 and 66.2%), Black or African American (2,622 and 18.5%), Hispanic or Latino (742 and 5.25%), and Asian (543 and 3.84%).

The largest universities in Columbia, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Columbia (10,467 and 70.4%), Midlands Technical College (1,647 and 11.1%), and Columbia International University (649 and 4.37%).

The most popular majors in Columbia, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (643 and 4.33%), General Business Administration & Management (625 and 4.21%), and General Finance (603 and 4.06%).

The median tuition costs in Columbia, SC are $15,690 for private four year colleges, and $12,288 and $34,543 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Columbia, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 62%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 54,317 (39.3% men and 60.7% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 54,317 students enrolled in Columbia, SC, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 31,362 records, of which 59.7% were women and 40.3% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Public Health
    451 degrees awarded
  2. General Finance
    603 degrees awarded
  3. General Biological Sciences
    467 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbia, SC was General Public Health with 451 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Columbia, SC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of South Carolina-Columbia
    10,467 degrees awarded
  2. Midlands Technical College
    1,647 degrees awarded
  3. Columbia International University
    649 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina-Columbia with 10,467 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 5,666 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia, SC, which is 0.616 times less than the 9,194 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 9,360 degrees mean that there were 3.57 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,622 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 2-year ($18,341) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,482) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,660) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia, SC was $232,400 in 2024, which is 0.699 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $213,400 to $232,400, a 8.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia, SC is 69.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Columbia, SC have an average commute time of 25 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Columbia, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$232,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$2,353
$235,645
Median Property Taxes
±$3,653

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Columbia, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Columbia, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

69.4%
Homeownership
2024
68.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.4% of the housing units in Columbia, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Columbia, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$68,359
Median Household Income
± $1,206
340k
Number of Households
± 5,341

In 2024, the median household income of the 340k households in Columbia, SC grew to $68,359 from the previous year's value of $66,146.

The following chart displays the households in Columbia, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia, SC is from South Carolina.
0.464
2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina
0.464
2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (74.6%)
  2. Worked At Home (11.8%)
  3. Carpooled (8.35%)

In 2024, 74.6% of workers in Columbia, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.8%) and those who carpooled to work (8.35%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

25 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia, SC have a shorter commute time (25 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.34% of the workforce in Columbia, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Columbia, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Columbia, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Columbia, SC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia, SC (119k out of 818k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Columbia, SC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

91.2% of the population of Columbia, SC has health coverage, with 44.1% on employee plans, 15.8% on Medicaid, 10.9% on Medicare, 16.9% on non-group plans, and 3.47% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1682 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 437 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
1,485 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in South Carolina

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see an average of 1,485 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in South Carolina in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.3% under 18 years, 21.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

8.82%
Uninsured
44.1%
Employer Coverage
15.8%
Medicaid
10.9%
Medicare
16.9%
Non-Group
3.47%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia, SC declined by 2.03% from 9% to 8.82%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Columbia, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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