Living in Columbia, SC
Mid-size city in South Carolina
Columbia is a mid-size city in South Carolina, home to about 138,000 people, with 392,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Columbia a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $218k and rents for $1,620 a month
- Low taxes: about $1,296 state income tax per resident, 0.66% property tax
- Strong healthcare: 2 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Smaller job market: about 392,000 people live within 31 mi
- Hot summers: highs around 94°F
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Columbia ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Columbia: common questions
What is the cost of living in Columbia?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $218k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,620 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Columbia?
South Carolina collects about $1,296 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.66% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Columbia safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (2.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Columbia?
Columbia has mild winters: winter days average around 62°F and summer days around 94°F.
Does Columbia get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.65 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Columbia?
The nearest major airport is CLT, about 83 mi away.
How Columbia scores
Each bar compares Columbia with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Columbia right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.