Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Columbia is a city of 147,035, and it grades C− overall, ranked 124th of 167 in South Carolina. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 97% of U.S. towns. The trade-offs: it reports more crime per resident than 95% of U.S. towns, including 1,157 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and the median household income is $56K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. 40% of working residents work locally in Columbia, above both the South Carolina town median (6.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include South Carolina Statehouse and Ainsley Hall House. On civic life, just 8 of South Carolina’s 152 towns do better.
Where Columbia beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
South Carolina State Hospital, Mills Building| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | 33,511 |
| Benedict College | 1,575 |
| Columbia International University | 822 |
South Carolina State Hospital, Mills Building is one of 5 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 151 National Register listings are more than in any other South Carolina town with a listing.
Census counts: 3,310 in 1830, 136,632 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1860.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Columbia is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for safety (better than 5%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Columbia, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Columbia.
Columbia draws workers from Lexington and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports violent crime at about twice the South Carolina rate.
The trail density in Columbia is 2.8 miles per square mile. Harbison State Forest, at 2,136 acres with 33.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 400 miles of trail in 46 parks and preserves.
| Columbia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harbison State Forest | 33.9 mi | 2,136 |
| 2. Southeast Park | 2.4 mi | 56 |
| 3. Owens Field Park | 1.4 mi | 81 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Richland 01 school district. Three of its 49 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 880 | C+ |
| Dreher HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,144 | A |
| Rosewood ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 338 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 7.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the South Carolina rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D.
Columbia’s violent crime rate is 7.9 per 1,000 residents. Columbia reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less. Columbia’s property crime rate is 31.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Columbia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 31.3 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
132,487 jobs are based in Columbia, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17.7 minutes, against 25.6 across South Carolina.
Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 8 have a lower average trip to work than Columbia. Jobs based in Columbia grew to 132,487 in 2023, 8,416 more than in 2013. The top destinations are West Columbia (2%), Cayce (2%) and Forest Acres (2%).
| Columbia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Columbia home is worth about $227,000, up 0.9% in a year, 25% below the South Carolina typical home. 46% of households own their home in Columbia.
| Columbia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 65% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,204 a month | $1,058 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Columbia has mild winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
472 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 34 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 472 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Columbia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 7,588 U.S. towns with household incomes like Columbia’s, it is healthier than 83%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Columbia beats the South Carolina average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 41% of Columbia adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Columbia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 14% |
| What stands out | Columbia | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Columbia. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaWilliams-Brice Stadiumin town LakeAlcohol and Drug Abuse Lake
14 mi National ParkCongaree National Park288K visitors a year
in town Stadium & arenaColonial Life Arena
25 mi LakeLake Murray
in town Zoo & aquariumRiverbanks ZooWilliams-Brice Stadium: SRA MARVIN PRESTON, Public domain · Congaree National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Colonial Life Arena: Dfscgt21, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Murray: Greygh0st at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Riverbanks Zoo: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12), CC BY-SA 3.0
7 within 15 miles of the center of Columbia
College town 19 of every 100 Columbia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
3% of the town is conserved land, across 46 parks and preserves.
151 places in Columbia on the National Register of Historic Places.
53 notable people were born in Columbia.
Capital city of South Carolina, United States
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina and the second-most populous city in the state. With an estimated population of 147,035 in 2025, it is the principal city of the Columbia metropolitan area, the second-largest metropolitan area in South Carolina, with an estimated population of 879,918 in 2025. Columbia serves as the county seat of Richland County, while portions of the city extend into neighboring Lexington and Kershaw counties. The city's name derives from "Columbia", a historic poetic personification of the United States, and is commonly shortened to "Cola", inspiring the nickname "Soda City". Located near the geographic center of South Carolina at the fall line…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Columbia.
Arthurtown next door grades lower for schools (C to Columbia’s B) and higher for cost of living (A+ to C).
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | #124 | C− | C | D | B | B− |
| St. Andrews | #128 | C− | B− | — | C | C− |
| Capitol View | #115 | C− | C+ | — | C | C |
| Forest Acres | #103 | C | C | D | C | A |
| Dentsville | #69 | C+ | C+ | — | B+ | C− |
| Olympia | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arthurtown | – | C+ | A+ | — | C | C |
| West Columbia | #131 | D | B− | D− | C | B− |
St. Andrews, Capitol View, Dentsville and Arthurtown report no FBI crime data of their own. Olympia isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Columbia with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Columbia grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #124 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades B− for health, D for safety and B for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 34% of towns.
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($68,359 across the Columbia, SC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
53 notable people were born here, including Stanley Donen and Charles Bolden.
