Photo: Akhenaton06 · CC BY-SA 3.0Columbia spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Columbia’s city government spent $284.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,035 per resident. Water and other utilities ($50.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Columbia is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Columbia’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9Bull Street CommissionMonday · 2:00 pm · 1640 Freed Street, MUSC Conference RoomBull Street Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Economic Development and Infrastructure CommitteeTuesday · 11:00 am · City Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd FloorEconomic Development and Infrastructure Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 1:00 pm · 1737 Main StreetWork SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10City CouncilTuesday · 4:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17GeneralTuesday · 10:00 am · 1737 Main Street, Mayor's Conference RoomCommunity Development Committee MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 4:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main StreetCity Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct27City Council Standing CommitteeTuesday · 2:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference RoomArts, Historic Preservation and Philanthropy Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Health Social and Environmental Affairs CommitteeTuesday · 1:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference RoomHealth Social and Environmental Affairs Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 4:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main StreetCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20GeneralTuesday · 2:00 pm · 1737 Main Street, Mayor's Conference RoomWork SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct20Economic Development and Infrastructure CommitteeTuesday · 12:00 pm · City Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference RoomEconomic Development and Infrastructure Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,035 per resident a year, or $5.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,789 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Columbia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,789 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 146 South Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $800, and the middle half spent $364–$1,270. Columbia spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($50.1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Columbia itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Columbia reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,789 · 2023: $1,969 · 2024: $2,035. Per resident it went from $1,789 to $2,035 (up 14%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 132,130 to 139,698.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,519 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,700 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.64% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Columbia’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbia →
Who’s in charge in Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 51 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (139,698).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Richland School District 2
Columbia’s K–12 school district, shared with Blythewood, Arcadia Lakes. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,935 per pupil, $7,662 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal.
Richland School District 1 · $20,012 per pupil
Lexington School District 5 · $16,036 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Columbia’s votes are counted by county
South Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Richland County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat66.4%121,110 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican31.8%58,019 votesOthers: 1.8% (3,282 votes).
Most votes in Richland County: Kamala D Harris
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of Columbia lies in Richland County; the rest in Lexington County. Every 2024 race in Richland County is on the county’s page.
Richland County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Columbia sends 8 representatives to the South Carolina House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: columbiasc.gov ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseColumbia is split between 8 districts
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Columbia compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses South Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Acres | $771 | $1,736 |
| West Columbia | $972 | $1,086 |
| Irmo | estimate | $1,253 |
| Columbia | $1,789 | $1,700 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Columbia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbia’s government
How much does Columbia spend per resident?
About $2,035 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,789 was more than 88% of 146 South Carolina cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Columbia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,700 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see columbiasc.gov.
Who runs Columbia’s government?
See columbiasc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbia yet.
How did Columbia vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Columbia alone. Richland County, where 100% of Columbia lies, voted Harris 66.4%, Trump 31.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Columbia?
2,743 full-time and 71 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $14.4M (about $172.7M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?
Columbia is split among 8 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Columbia?
The next posted meeting is Bull Street Commission on Monday, November 9, at 2:00 pm in 1640 Freed Street, MUSC Conference Room, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Columbia’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →