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Columbia

#5 in Best Places to Live in Columbia Area
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • City in South Carolina
  • 483 reviews
    A
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      B
    2. Crime & Safety
      C
    3. Housing
      B-
    4. Nightlife
      A
    5. Good for Families
      B+
    6. Diversity
      A
    7. Jobs
      B-
    8. Weather
      B+
    9. Cost of Living
      B-
    10. Health & Fitness
      B
    11. Outdoor Activities
      A-
    12. Commute
      A
    View Full Report Card
    Columbia is a city in South Carolina with a population of 132,236. Columbia is in Richland County and is one of the best places to live in South Carolina. Living in Columbia offers residents a suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Columbia there are a lot of restaurants and parks. Many young professionals live in Columbia and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Columbia are above average.
    About Columbia...
    Population
    132,236

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $168,800
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $878
    National
    $949
    Area Feel
    Suburban
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      55%
    • Own
      45%
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    Columbia Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Columbia Neighborhood Map

    • Public Schools
    • Private Schools
    • Colleges

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      475.7
      282.7
    • Murder
      7.4
      6.1
    • Rape
      48.9
      40.7
    • Robbery
      202.3
      135.5
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      706.9
      500.1
    • Theft
      3,993.1
      2,042.8
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      586.1
      284

    Residents

    Diversity
    A
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      9%
    • 10-17 years
      7%
    • 18-24 years
      27%
    • 25-34 years
      17%
    • 35-44 years
      10%
    • 45-54 years
      10%
    • 55-64 years
      9%
    • 65+ years
      10%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      19%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      24%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      26%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      20%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      12%
      13%

    Working in Columbia

    Jobs
    B-
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $43,650
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Columbia
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    Columbia Reviews

    483 reviews
    All Categories
    Columbia, also nicknamed Cola City (short for columbia) is known for 1. Capital of SC and 2. Univeristy of SC, Gamecocks. With a lot of opportunities with schools, local urban agriculture, city life, and other major cities surrounding makes Columbia all worthwhile. There is a old saying that suggests "home is where the heart is at", and Columbia represents that in many ways due to community involvement. Many people may choose to get involved in Soda City farmers market which is held every Saturday, this is one of the examples of how expansive the opportunities are in Gamecock territory!
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    Columbia, SC mostly known for the home of the gamecocks has a lot more importance. Firstly, it is the capital of South Carolina and has lots of career opportunities as well as educational. I love the way that all the schools unite together for games or interact at the famous Five Points. If anything, I’d like to see more shelters for homeless people because there are way too many opportunities in this area for so many people to live that lifestyle. Columbia can get uninteresting to people who have adapted to this small but big town and to those who come for a visit, will have a great experience!
    I have lived in Columbia, for all my almost 42 years. Not a bad place to be. The weather here is just right. Can't go wrong with the temperature because, we get the warm laid back weather here. We have the great variety of soulful southern foods here. To include, we have a lot of outdoor activities to occupy oneself with. There are a few fun indoor activities, for individuals to entertain themselves with too.
    Columbia has a lot of history to learn about and to be seen. Most of the entertainment is downtown, ranging from museums, night life club/restaurant social fun time, to music concerts/festivals, arts and crafts, on up to our popular college campuses and our love of sports. South Carolina is also known as, one of the great places to retire. It's Columbia, South Carolina, so it's all about Southern Hospitality here!