Columbia, South Carolina is a vibrant city with many resources for its citizens to stay healthy. There are several well-equipped local hospitals and medical facilities in the area, offering quality care and services to their patients. Columbia has a wide array of programs and events available that focus on health and wellness, such as fitness classes at local parks, health screenings, and free nutrition education. Additionally, Columbia is home to many organizations devoted to promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. The city also offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as biking trails and public parks with walking paths. All these resources help create a safe environment for residents of Columbia to stay active and healthy.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 268 physicians per 100,000 population in Columbia. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Columbia area is 104.3 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
104.3 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Columbia area is 56 (100=best). The US average is 55.
56 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Columbia area is 88 (100=best). The US average is 87.
88 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Columbia commutes 15.2 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Columbia area is 40 (100=best). The US average is 58.
40 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.