Photo: Dr. Blazer · CC BY-SA 4.0How is West Columbia run?
West Columbia’s city government spent $21.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,215 per resident. Water and other utilities ($14.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how West Columbia is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,215 per resident a year, or $3.33 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 32%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$972 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
West Columbia’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($972 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 South Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,144, and the middle half spent $710–$1,515. West Columbia spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.9 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 of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Columbia itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 22% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years West 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: $972 · 2023: $1,098 · 2024: $1,215.
full-time in March 2025, up from 194 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,086 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% 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 West 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 West Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Columbia →
Who’s in charge in West Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
West Columbia’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on westcolumbiasc.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 79 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,618).
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.
Lexington School District 2
West Columbia’s K–12 school district, shared with Pine Ridge, South Congaree, Springdale, Cayce. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,713 per pupil, $7,924 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
West 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 West Columbia alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lexington County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.0%96,965 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.5%47,815 votesOthers: 1.4% (2,123 votes).
Most votes in Lexington County: Donald J Trump
South Carolina: Trump 58.2%, Harris 40.4%
100% of West Columbia lies in Lexington County. Every 2024 race in Lexington County is on the county’s page.
Lexington 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
Every level of government that speaks for West Columbia.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: westcolumbiasc.gov ↗
- 2South Carolina HouseState representatives
- 3South Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How West Columbia compares with the towns next door
West Columbia spent $972 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,094 to $1,789. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | $1,094 | $1,541 |
| Cayce | $1,448 | $843 |
| Columbia | $1,789 | $1,700 |
| Springdale | estimate | $987 |
| West Columbia | $972 | $1,086 |
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 West Columbia’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about West Columbia’s government
How much does West Columbia spend per resident?
About $1,215 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 $972 was less than 60% of 68 South Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in West Columbia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,086 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across South Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see westcolumbiasc.gov.
Who runs West Columbia’s government?
See westcolumbiasc.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Columbia yet.
How did West Columbia vote in 2024?
South Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Columbia alone. Lexington County, where 100% of West Columbia lies, voted Trump 66.0%, Harris 32.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Columbia?
223 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Columbia in the state legislature?
West Columbia is split among 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The South Carolina Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West 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 →