2025 Compare Cities Economy:
Lancaster, PA vs Columbia, SC

Change Cities
Highlights
- Household income in Columbia, is 10% less than it is in Lancaster and is 41% below the National Average.
- Lancaster unemployment rate is 10.4%.
- Columbia unemployment rate is 5.2%.
 Lancaster, PAColumbia, SCUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock5.2%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock-0.2%1.6%
 Future Job Growth26.3%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes6.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock7.0%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$25,552  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$48,791$69,021
 Family Median Income$59,259  Unlock$85,028
 space
 Est. Households By Income
 Lancaster, PAColumbia, SCUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock18.9%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K4.6%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock10.7%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K10.7%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock8.6%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K8.2%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock7.4%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K14.1%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock11.2%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K3.9%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock7.1%9.5%
 space1
 Population By Occupation
 Lancaster, PAColumbia, SCUnited States
 Management, business, finance12.4%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock5.8%6.5%
 Community, social services2.6%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock2.3%1.2%
 Education, library5.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock2.3%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology4.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.0%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.1%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock8.1%5.4%
 Building maintenance5.2%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.5%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support19.2%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.4%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair5.6%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock10.1%13.1%
Reviews for Lancaster    14 Reviews

Lancaster is really nice in some parts, but it seems like the further away you get from downtown the worse it gets. I grew up around Saint Joseph and manor and saw  More

   |    Reply

I was there last weekend and was extremely favorably impressed. The only hesitation, and question, I have about the place is the high crime rate. It is hard to tell from  More

   |    Reply

Over 11 years ago

Lancaster is the nation's oldest inland city located in central PA amid Amish farmlands. Walkable and soon to be bike friendly, it offers a variety of great restaurants  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Lancaster

Reviews for Columbia    50 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

I love living in Columbia! I recently graduated from USC and plan to stay. I read the reviews posted here and it shows that like many cities, your experience will depend  More

   |    Reply

Loved living in Columbia, SC prior to my job transfer. It's the perfect size - plenty to do, but still a laid back place. People are extremely friendly, there are  More

   |    Reply

Columbia is such a unique and underrated place. It has a lot of character and history, and good nature trails. Everything feels accessible (by car) and you can get from  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Columbia


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.