West Columbia, SC

Census Place

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2024 Population
17,963
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
38.6
3.76% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
13.7%
2.85% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$56,912
5.1% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$201,700
8.32% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
8,763
2.23% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in West 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.

92.6% of the residents in West Columbia, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in West Columbia, SC are Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia (132 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in West Columbia, SC was $201,700, and the homeownership rate was 55.3%.

Most people in West Columbia, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in West Columbia, SC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesSouth CarolinaLexington County, SCColumbia, SCLexington (North and East) County--Irmo (West) & West Columbia Cities PUMA, SCLexington (South & West) County and Cayce PUMA, SCRichland County (Central)--Columbia City PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

West Columbia, SC is home to a population of 18k people, from which 92.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.94% of West Columbia, SC residents were born outside of the country (1.79k people).

In 2024, there were 3.94 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.4k people) in West Columbia, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.89k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.41k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.6%
2024 Citizenship
92.7%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.6% of West Columbia, SC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Columbia, SC was 92.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in West 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 West Columbia, SC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    11.4k ± 728
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    2.89k ± 557
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    1.41k ± 537
12.4%
Hispanic Population
2.22k people

In 2024, there were 3.94 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.4k people) in West Columbia, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.89k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.41k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

12.4% of the people in West Columbia, SC are hispanic (2.22k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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

9.94%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.79k people
9.04%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.6k people

As of 2024, 9.94% of West Columbia, SC residents (1.79k 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 West Columbia, SC was 9.04%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    452 ± 118
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    426 ± 218
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    169 ± 85

West Columbia, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.06 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of West Columbia, SC employs 8.76k people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Columbia, SC were Educational Services (1,396 people), Retail Trade (1,191 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (949 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($78,750), Wholesale Trade ($68,704), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,658).

Employment

Occupations

8.76k
2024 Value
± 755
−2.23%
1 Year decline
± 12.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Columbia, SC declined at a rate of −2.23%, from 8.96k employees to 8.76k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Columbia, SC, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,087 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,048 people), and Management Occupations (887 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West 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

8.76k
2024 Value
± 755
−2.23%
1 Year decline
± 12.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Columbia, SC declined at a rate of −2.23%, from 8.96k employees to 8.76k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Columbia, SC, are Educational Services (1,396 people), Retail Trade (1,191 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (949 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Columbia, SC, though some of these residents may live in West 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

$45,450
Median earning men ± $6,624
$38,697
Median earning women ± $4,550

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($67,731), Information ($65,278), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($65,017).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($133,320), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,654), and Manufacturing ($55,139).

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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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Education

In 2023, universities in West Columbia, SC awarded 132 degrees. The student population of West Columbia, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 39 male students and 261 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in West Columbia, SC are Black or African American (61 and 46.2%), White (56 and 42.4%), Two or More Races (7 and 5.3%), and Hispanic or Latino (4 and 3.03%).

The largest universities in West Columbia, SC by number of degrees awarded are Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia (132 and 100%).

The most popular majors in West Columbia, SC are General Cosmetology (97 and 73.5%), Barbering (31 and 23.5%), and Nail Specialist & Manicurist (4 and 3.03%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 300 students enrolled in West Columbia, SC, 13% men and 87% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 155 records, of which 81.9% were women and 18.1% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Cosmetology
    97 degrees awarded
  2. Barbering
    31 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in West Columbia, SC was General Cosmetology with 97 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in West Columbia, SC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
132 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia with 132 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 30 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Columbia, SC, which is 0.294 times less than the 102 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 61 degrees mean that there were 1.09 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 56 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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Housing & Living

The median property value in West Columbia, SC was $201,700 in 2024, which is 0.606 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $186,200 to $201,700, a 8.32% increase. The homeownership rate in West Columbia, SC is 55.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Columbia, SC have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Columbia, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$201,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$12,741
$4,713
Median Property Taxes
±$475

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 West 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 West Columbia, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

55.3%
Homeownership
2024
69.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 55.3% of the housing units in West Columbia, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 56.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West 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.
$56,912
Median Household Income
± $3,782
8.52k
Number of Households
± 702

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.52k households in West Columbia, SC grew to $56,912 from the previous year's value of $54,152.

The following chart displays the households in West 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 West 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 (76.2%)
  2. Worked At Home (9.85%)
  3. Carpooled (8.65%)

In 2024, 76.2% of workers in West Columbia, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.85%) and those who carpooled to work (8.65%).

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

19.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Columbia, SC have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.12% of the workforce in West Columbia, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in West 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 West Columbia, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Columbia, SC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Columbia, SC (2.41k out of 17.6k 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 Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

89.2% of the population of West Columbia, SC has health coverage, with 41.5% on employee plans, 13.1% on Medicaid, 14.3% on Medicare, 18.1% on non-group plans, and 2.27% 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, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 26.8% between 18 and 34 years, 33.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

10.8%
Uninsured
41.5%
Employer Coverage
13.1%
Medicaid
14.3%
Medicare
18.1%
Non-Group
2.27%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Columbia, SC declined by 11.7% from 12.2% to 10.8%.

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

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