Best Places to Live in Columbia Metro Area, South Carolina

College town/Capital city - Central South Carolina. October, May and April are the most pleasant months in the Columbia metro area, while July and August are the least comfortable months.

State: South Carolina
County:
Metro Area: Columbia Metro Area
City: Columbia, Lexington, 42 total

Zip Codes: 29072, 29223, 29073, 29229, 29210, 29063, 29203, 29016, 29209, 29212, 49 total
Cost of Living: -13.1% lower
Time zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Elevation: 225 ft above sea level

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Columbia, Sc Housing Market

Least Expensive Homes	Homes Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Most Expensive Homes	Homes less than 10 yrs old
All Single Family Homes

Pros
College-town amenities
Historic interest
Cost of living

Cons
Hot, humid summers
Air service
Crime rates

What Bert Has To Say About Columbia Metro Area

Columbia is the capital, the largest city, and the commercial, industrial and educational hub for the state. The city is laid out in a traditional grid along the Congaree River with a number of historic buildings, although many of the older ones were destroyed in Sherman’s famous march. Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina, whose attractive and historic campus is in the south part of the downtown area adds a dose of college town feel, a few amenities, and sports-related entertainment to the area. The downtown is clean and attractive, with entertainment near the campus and in a restored waterfront area. Beautiful older residential areas extend east with a clear antebellum imprint and good home values, but this isn’t the part of town with the best reputation for education and safety.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Columbia Metro Area is 4.5% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Negative. Columbia Metro Area jobs have decreased by 0.1%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Columbia Metro Area's cost of living is 13.1% lower than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Columbia Metro Area's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

October, May and April are the most pleasant months in the Columbia metro area, while July and August are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, the Columbia metro area remained moderately Democratic, 52.2% to 46.2%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Columbia Metro Area's population is 847,397 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 8.6%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 23.7 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Columbia Metro Area is Real Estate: $179,600. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 5.4%.

SCHOOLS

Columbia Metro Area public schools spend $13,469 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 14.6 students per teacher in Columbia Metro Area. More Education

Best Places to Live in Columbia Rankings

#5	Best Cities for Teleworking - Small Metro Areas
#5	Americas Manliest Cites 2011
#10	The Most (and Least) Gender Imbalanced Cities
#13	Second Annual “America’s Manliest Cities” Rankings
#13	America’s Manliest Cities

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Housing Market in Columbia

It's a good time to buy in Columbia. Home Appreciation is up 12.6% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Columbia is $179,600.

Real Estate: See Homes

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COMPARE COST OF LIVING

Compare Columbia Metro Area, South Carolina to any other place in the USA.

MAPS OF COLUMBIA METRO AREA, SOUTH CAROLINA

ZIP CODES IN COLUMBIA METRO AREA, SOUTH CAROLINA

29072, 29223, 29073, 29229, 29210, 29063, 29203, 29016, 29209, 29212, 49 total

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United States / South Carolina / Columbia Metro Area / Counties / Cities / Zip Codes