Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Columbia, SC

    Is Columbia a good place to live?

    Watch Columbia

    Columbia ranks #16 of 22 South Carolina cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (36/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.9% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $243,500
    +7.6% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,158
    per month
    Household income
    $55,653
    median
    Unemployment
    7.6%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Columbia

    The median home value in Columbia is $243,500 and median rent is $1,158 a month, against a median household income of $55,653. Homes cost about 4.4× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Columbia crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across South Carolina the 2025 rate was 389 violent and 1,715 property crimes per 100,000 people — #17 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Columbia, SC

    Columbia has about 138,019 residents, 7.6% unemployment and 25% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Columbia with

    Columbia vs CharlestonColumbia vs North CharlestonColumbia vs Mount PleasantColumbia vs Rock HillColumbia vs GreenvilleColumbia vs SummervilleColumbia vs Goose CreekColumbia vs Sumter

    More: Where to move in South Carolina · Best counties in South Carolina

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report