Columbia, SC

Census Place

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2023 Population

138,019

0.925% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

28.7

1.41% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

23.3%

4.11% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$55,653

2.88% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$243,500

7.65% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

64,199

2.62% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Columbia, SC had a population of 138k people with a median age of 28.7 and a median household income of $55,653. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Columbia, SC grew from 136,754 to 138,019, a 0.925% increase and its median household income grew from $54,095 to $55,653, a 2.88% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Columbia, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (47.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (39%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.05%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.58%), and White (Hispanic) (1.95%).

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.

96.8% 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), Columbia International University (649 degrees), and Columbia College (217934) (475 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Columbia, SC was $243,500, and the homeownership rate was 47.3%.

Most people in Columbia, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Columbia, SC was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Ron Cogswell

United States South Carolina Lexington County, SC Richland County, SC Columbia, SC Lexington (North and East) County--Irmo (West) & West Columbia Cities PUMA, SC Richland County (Northwest and North Central)--Irmo (East) and Blythewood Cities PUMA, SC Richland County (Central)--Columbia City PUMA, SC Richland County (South & Central)--Forest Acres & Dentsville Cities PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

Columbia, SC is home to a population of 138k people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 5.06% of Columbia, SC residents were born outside of the country (6.98k people).

In 2023, there were 1.23 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (66.1k people) in Columbia, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 53.8k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.59k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.8%

2023 Citizenship

97.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.8% of Columbia, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Columbia, SC was 97.2%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Columbia, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
66.1k ± 1.99k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
53.8k ± 2.12k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
5.59k ± 913

5.68%

Hispanic Population

7.84k people

5.68% of the people in Columbia, SC are hispanic (7.84k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Columbia, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
58,419 ± 5,900 people
India
18,341 ± 3,319 people
Honduras
13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

Foreign-Born Population

5.06%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.98k people

4.59%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

6.28k people

As of 2023, 5.06% of Columbia, SC residents (6.98k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Columbia, SC was 4.59%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,861 ± 618
Vietnam
1,947 ± 425
Gulf War (1990s)
1,032 ± 357

Columbia, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.47 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Columbia, SC employs 64.2k people. The largest industries in Columbia, SC are Educational Services (9,032 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,324 people), and Retail Trade (7,275 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($76,650), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($75,034), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,758).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

64.2k

2023 Value

± 2,331

2.62%

1 Year growth

± 4.88%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia, SC grew at a rate of 2.62%, from 62.6k employees to 64.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Columbia, SC, are Management Occupations (6,860 people), Sales & Related Occupations (6,793 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,769 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Columbia, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

64.2k

2023 Value

± 2,331

2.62%

1 Year growth

± 4.88%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Columbia, SC grew at a rate of 2.62%, from 62.6k employees to 64.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Columbia, SC, are Educational Services (9,032 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,324 people), and Retail Trade (7,275 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,995

Median earning men ± $2,994

$35,603

Median earning women ± $1,884

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($79,323), Wholesale Trade ($55,125), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($55,092).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($57,773), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,948), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,255).

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Columbia, SC awarded 12,755 degrees. The student population of Columbia, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 17,783 male students and 26,344 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Columbia, SC are White (8,386 and 69.6%), followed by Black or African American (1,852 and 15.4%), Hispanic or Latino (591 and 4.91%), and Asian (515 and 4.28%).

The largest universities in Columbia, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Columbia (10,467 and 82.1%), Columbia International University (649 and 5.09%), and Columbia College (217934) (475 and 3.72%).

The most popular majors in Columbia, SC are General Finance (603 and 4.73%), General Business Administration & Management (587 and 4.6%), and Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (518 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 61.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 44,127 (40.3% men and 59.7% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 44,127 students enrolled in Columbia, SC, 40.3% men and 59.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 27,409 records, of which 59.9% were women and 40.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Finance
603 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
467 degrees awarded
General Public Health
442 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Columbia, SC was General Finance with 603 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of South Carolina-Columbia
10,467 degrees awarded
Columbia International University
649 degrees awarded
Columbia College (217934)
475 degrees awarded

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

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 5,010 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Columbia, SC, which is 0.647 times less than the 7,745 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 8,386 degrees mean that there were 4.53 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,852 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($15,690) 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, 4-year or above ($1,312) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Columbia, SC was $243,500 in 2023, which is 0.803 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $226,200 to $243,500, a 7.65% increase. The homeownership rate in Columbia, SC is 47.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Columbia, SC have an average commute time of 17.4 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.

Median household income in Columbia, SC is $55,653. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Columbia, SC was Census Tract 23 with a value of $215,368, followed by Census Tract 12 and Census Tract 114.07, with respective values of $131,192 and $122,885.

Housing

Property

$243,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,551

$24,477

Median Property Taxes

±$1,298

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.

Rent vs Own

47.3%

Homeownership

2023

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 47.3% of the housing units in Columbia, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 47%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 23
Census Tract 12
Census Tract 114.07

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Columbia, SC was Census Tract 23 with a value of $215,368, followed by Census Tract 12 and Census Tract 114.07, with respective values of $131,192 and $122,885.

The following map shows all of the places in Columbia, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,653

Median Household Income

± $1,870

51.8k

Number of Households

± 2,016

In 2023, the median household income of the 51.8k households in Columbia, SC grew to $55,653 from the previous year's value of $54,095.

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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Columbia, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (62.9%)
Walked (16.4%)
Worked At Home (9.82%)

In 2023, 62.9% of workers in Columbia, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (16.4%) and those who worked at home (9.82%).

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.

Commute Time

17.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Columbia, SC have a shorter commute time (17.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.77% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Columbia, SC (26.1k out of 112k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. 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 Two Or More.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91.9% of the population of Columbia, SC has health coverage, with 47.7% on employee plans, 16.1% on Medicaid, 7.47% on Medicare, 16.8% on non-group plans, and 3.92% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Richland County, SC see 1180 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.17% increase from the previous year (1178 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1067 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 267 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Richland County, SC.

1,180 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Richland County, SC

Primary care physicians in Richland County, SC see an average of 1,180 patients per year. This represents a 0.17% increase from the previous year (1,178 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 34.4% between 18 and 34 years, 30% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.06%

Uninsured

47.7%

Employer Coverage

16.1%

Medicaid

7.47%

Medicare

16.8%

Non-Group

3.92%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Columbia, SC declined by 4.1% from 8.41% to 8.06%.

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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