Town guide

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is a city in Richland County, South Carolina, home to about 139,643 people across 137 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 29044, 29201, 29203, 29204, 29205, 29207, 29208, 29209 and 29225, and parts of 29045, 29063, 29206, 29210, 29212, 29223 and 29229 are in Columbia too.

Homes sold for a median of $159 per square foot across 6 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 5 of 6 were seller’s markets.

Population139,6431,021 per sq mi

Median home value$264,300Census, as estimated by owners

Price per sq ft$159Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026

Sold over asking16%Median of 6 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Columbia

16 ZIP codes, 7 shared with neighboring towns

Eastover, SC29044 Buyer’s market $152/sq ft +14.2% vs. last year 7.1 months of supply · 22% sold over asking

Mostly Columbia; also Eastover

Columbia, SC29201 Seller’s market $213/sq ft −5.6% vs. last year 2.2 months of supply · 14% sold over asking Competition 45/100

Mostly Columbia; also Arthurtown and Cayce

Columbia, SC29203 Seller’s market $148/sq ft +0.9% vs. last year 3.3 months of supply · 14% sold over asking Competition 34/100

Mostly Columbia; also Dentsville

Columbia, SC29204 Seller’s market $166/sq ft +11.7% vs. last year 3.4 months of supply · 20% sold over asking Competition 48/100

Mostly Columbia; also Forest Acres

Columbia, SC29205 Seller’s market $234/sq ft +3.6% vs. last year 3.1 months of supply · 16% sold over asking Competition 50/100

Mostly Columbia

Columbia, SC29207Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Columbia

Columbia, SC29208Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Columbia

Columbia, SC29209 Seller’s market $145/sq ft −3.9% vs. last year 3.7 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 34/100

Mostly Columbia; also Capitol View and Cayce

Columbia, SC29225Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Columbia

Elgin, SC29045 Balanced $148/sq ft −1.9% vs. last year 4.1 months of supply · 27% sold over asking Competition 54/100

Part is in Columbia, part in Elgin Town and Lugoff

Irmo, SC29063 Seller’s market $154/sq ft −0.3% vs. last year 2.7 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 44/100

Mostly Irmo; part is in Columbia

Columbia, SC29206 Seller’s market $215/sq ft +11.2% vs. last year 3.9 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 34/100

Mostly Forest Acres; part is in Columbia

Columbia, SC29210 Seller’s market $118/sq ft −4.7% vs. last year 3.7 months of supply · 14% sold over asking Competition 35/100

Mostly St. Andrews; part is in Columbia

Columbia, SC29212 Seller’s market $149/sq ft −2.5% vs. last year 2.5 months of supply · 19% sold over asking Competition 49/100

Part is in Columbia, part in Seven Oaks and St. Andrews

Columbia, SC29223 Balanced $141/sq ft −0.6% vs. last year 4 months of supply · 21% sold over asking Competition 44/100

Mostly Dentsville; part is in Columbia

Columbia, SC29229 Seller’s market $147/sq ft +2.8% vs. last year 2.8 months of supply · 19% sold over asking Competition 52/100

Part is in Columbia

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Columbia. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Columbia guide is on the way

We’re writing up Columbia’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

History
What it’s like to live there
Getting around
Things to do

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Columbia at a glance

City · Richland County, SC

Population	139,6431,021 per square mile
Land area	137 square milesplus 2.9 of water
Median household income	$55,529average $92,588
Median home value	$264,300as estimated by owners
Median rent	$1,204/month
Homes lived in by owners	46%
Single-family houses	50% of homes
Median year built	1980
Average household	2.16 people
Median age	28.6
Average commute	18 minutes12% work from home
Adults with a degree	46%bachelor’s or higher

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for the place; town boundaries and ZIP code overlaps from the Census Bureau’s 2020 relationship files; market figures from Redfin, a national real estate brokerage. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Around Columbia

Distances

Nearest major airport	Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)83 miles away
Closer regional airport	Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)11 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+	Charlotte, NC83 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+	Philadelphia, PA523 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Columbia; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Columbia

U.S. Representative · South Carolina’s 6th DistrictJames E. Clyburn (D)
U.S. Representative · South Carolina’s 2nd DistrictJoe Wilson (R)
U.S. SenatorDarline Graham (R)
U.S. SenatorTim Scott (R)
GovernorHenry McMaster (R)
Mayor · as listed on WikidataDaniel Rickenmann

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Columbia had 136,632 residents in the 2020 census, up 18% since 2000.

It’s the 2nd largest of 474 towns in South Carolina by population.

Richland County grew from 45,589 residents in 1900 to 416,147 in 2020.

Richland County, 1900–2020

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 93°F in summer, and winter lows average 37°F. About 43.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbia Owens Dwtn Ap, SC weather station (4 miles away).

Jobs in Richland County

169,733 jobs at 9,426 businesses in Richland County. The biggest industries by employees:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

5,369 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Columbia’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

Columbia Sc Va Medical CenterVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Columbia2.6 miles
Musc Health Columbia Medical Center DowntownGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Columbia3.7 miles
Prisma Health BaptistGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Columbia5.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors	561
Specialist doctors	1,291
Dentists	237
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants	1,421
Mental health providers	1,447
Physical and occupational therapists	311
Optometrists	54
Chiropractors	47
Pharmacies	66

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Columbia

Parks (88 nearby)

Sesquicentennial State Park · 1,316 acres5.5 mi
Cayce Riverwalk · 253 acres7.0 mi
Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve · 182 acres7.0 mi
3 Rivers Greenway · 114 acres6.3 mi
Owens Field Park · 80 acres3.9 mi
Riverfront Park · 80 acres6.5 mi

Grocery stores (32 nearby)

Walmart Supercenter0.5 mi
The Fresh Market1.0 mi
Garner's Natural Life1.0 mi
Publix1.0 mi

Pharmacies (21 nearby)

Walmart Pharmacy0.5 mi
Rite Aid1.2 mi
CVS Pharmacy1.3 mi
Walgreens2.4 mi

Libraries (15 nearby)

Richland Library Cooper1.2 mi
Soldier Support Institute Library1.3 mi
Midlands Technical College Library2.7 mi
Richland Library Southeast3.3 mi
Richland Library Wheatley3.5 mi

Museums (15 nearby)

U.S. Army Finance Corps Museum0.4 mi
U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum0.4 mi
US Army Chaplain Museum1.3 mi
Anne Frank Center4.5 mi
Columbia Fire Department Museum4.6 mi

Theaters and performance venues (17 nearby)

Palmetto Performing Arts1.1 mi
Tapp's Outpost4.2 mi
Gemini Arts4.3 mi
The Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center4.4 mi
Township Auditorium4.7 mi

Counts are within about 7.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1787.

Colleges and universities

University of South Carolina
Columbia College
South Carolina Technical College System

Sports teams

South Carolina Gamecocks NCAA Division I

Notable people born here

Stanley Donen (1924) · American film director and choreographer (1924-2019)
Charles Bolden (1946) · 23rd Administrator of NASA and astronaut
Aziz Ansari (1983) · American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter and director
Jeezy (1977) · American rapper (born 1977)
Angie Stone (1961) · American singer and actress (1961–2025)
Jermaine O'Neal (1978) · American basketball player (born 1978)
Mike Colter (1976) · American actor
Kelsey Asbille (1991) · American actress (born 1991)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Columbia

Public schools here are run by Richland 01, Charter Institute at Erskine, Richland 02 and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (79)

School	Grades	Students	Type	Distance
A. C. Moore ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	244	Public	4.2 mi
A. J. Lewis Greenview ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	358	Public	4.6 mi
Annie Burnside ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	306	Public	3.3 mi
Arden ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	216	Public	4.9 mi
Bradley ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	392	Public	2.8 mi
Brennen ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	805	Public	2.0 mi
Brockman ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	297	Public	1.8 mi
Burton Pack ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	255	Public	4.0 mi
Carolina School for InquiryColumbia	Pre-K–6	114	Charter	7.0 mi
Carver-Lyon ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	417	Public	4.0 mi
Caughman Road ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	715	Public	3.6 mi
Clear Dot Charter SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–11	474	Charter	5.1 mi
Edward E. Taylor ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	217	Public	6.7 mi
Forest Heights ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	435	Public	8.1 mi
Forest Lake ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	652	Public	2.5 mi
H. B. Rhame ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	418	Public	8.1 mi
Harbison West ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	510	Public	13.4 mi
Hyatt Park ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	317	Public	5.4 mi
J. P. Thomas ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	346	Public	5.2 mi
Jackson Creek ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	551	Public	3.4 mi
Joseph Keels ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	465	Public	4.2 mi
Killian ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	699	Public	8.5 mi
L. B. Nelson ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	541	Public	7.3 mi
L. W. Conder ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	489	Public	3.4 mi
Leaphart ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	483	Public	12.2 mi
Logan ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	237	Public	5.6 mi
Meadowfield ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	615	Public	3.2 mi
Mill Creek ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	353	Public	4.3 mi
North Springs ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	659	Public	9.4 mi
Nursery Road ElementaryColumbia	Pre-K–5	471	Public	14.3 mi

And 49 more.

Private schools (23)

School	Grades	Students	Affiliation	Distance
Asbury Kindergarten & PreschoolColumbia	Pre-K–K	11	Methodist	2.8 mi
Ben Lippen SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–12	1,105	Christian (no specific denomination)	8.3 mi
Center for Learning IncColumbia	Pre-K–5	72	Nonsectarian	3.3 mi
Cutler Jewish Day SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–5	47	Jewish	1.7 mi
Cutler Jewish Day SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–5	45	Jewish	1.7 mi
Hammond SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–12	944	Nonsectarian	3.7 mi
Harmony SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–3	10	Nonsectarian	2.3 mi
Jubilee AcademyColumbia	Pre-K–4	16	Christian (no specific denomination)	2.8 mi
Kilbourne Park Baptist Church Weekday PreschoolColumbia	Pre-K–K	16	Baptist	2.0 mi
Lake Murray Montessori SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–K	6	Nonsectarian	9.5 mi
Marnie Leads AcademyColumbia	Pre-K–K	1	Christian (no specific denomination)	3.4 mi
Mission Hope FoundationColumbia	Pre-K–10	66	Islamic	2.8 mi
Montessori School of ColumbiaColumbia	Pre-K–6	89	Nonsectarian	3.9 mi
Shandon United Methodist Preschool & KindergartenColumbia	Pre-K–K	14	Methodist	2.9 mi
St John Newmann Catholic SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–6	255	Roman Catholic	6.0 mi
St Joseph SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–6	213	Roman Catholic	2.8 mi
St Martin De Porres SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–6	33	Roman Catholic	4.1 mi
St Peters Catholic SchoolColumbia	Pre-K–6	94	Roman Catholic	5.3 mi
The School of Norah ArkColumbia	Pre-K–12	141	Disciples of Christ	7.7 mi
Daniels Christian SchoolsColumbia	K–12	31	Christian (no specific denomination)	4.6 mi
Grace Community Academy of ColumbiaColumbia	K–12	58	Christian (no specific denomination)	8.5 mi
Sandhills SchoolColumbia	1–12	104	Nonsectarian	3.9 mi
Cardinal Newman SchoolColumbia	7–12	562	Roman Catholic	4.4 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Columbia

All South Carolina towns →

Arcadia Lakes, SCTown · 901 people1 mile away Forest Acres, SCCity · 10,530 people1 mile away Capitol View, SCCommunity · 4,374 people4 miles away Dentsville, SCCommunity · 15,209 people5 miles away Woodfield, SCCommunity · 9,465 people5 miles away Arthurtown, SCCommunity · 3,272 people5 miles away Olympia, SCCommunity · 935 people5 miles away Cayce, SCCity · 13,741 people7 miles away

More for Columbia buyers

Richland County property taxes Richland County loan limits Closing costs in South Carolina Hottest ZIP codes in South Carolina Towns like Columbia

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.