Living in Columbia (South Carolina)

Columbia (South Carolina) is a city in South Carolina, United States, home to 142,416 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are students (top 18%, #362 of 2,119), digital natives (top 25%, #1,160 of 4,750), car-free households (top 32%, #1,228 of 3,933).

Residents142,416

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport136 km (Charlotte Douglas International)

Nearest city of 100k+Itself

Within 30 km327,600 people

Lake shore17 km (Lake Murray)

Climate typeHumid subtropical (Cfa)

Terrain around itabout 80 m, height range 60 m

Nearest large lakeLake Murray, 17 km

Nearest major riverCongaree, 1.5 km

Main railway line1.5 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.653 km

Within 10 km207,513 people

Greater areaGreater Columbia, 13 km out

Winter daylight9 h 53 min, sunset 23:19

See Columbia (South Carolina) on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Columbia (South Carolina)

It is part of Greater Columbia, 13 km from the city centre.
On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 53 min and sets around 23:19; in late June it sets around 2:39.

Best places in Greater Columbia

How Columbia (South Carolina) ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In South Carolina
Young family	44	#7,322 of 11,898	#49 of 166	Map
Low-income household	40	#4,524 of 9,771	#51 of 143	Map
Low-income family	42	#4,750 of 8,006	#45 of 106	Map
Single parent	46	#3,745 of 6,237	#37 of 79	Map
Pensioner couple	58	#5,773 of 9,474	#42 of 136	Map
Single pensioner	46	#7,847 of 9,474	#60 of 136	Map
Early retiree	54	#7,291 of 10,762	#60 of 163	Map
Single professional	47	#3,079 of 4,537	#6 of 33	Map
Young professional	52	#2,858 of 4,444	#5 of 33	Map
DINKS	46	#2,625 of 3,053	#6 of 22	Map
Remote worker	54	#5,095 of 7,271	#57 of 101	Map
Commuter	68	#2,473 of 6,227	#7 of 46	Map
Car-free household	65	#1,228 of 3,933	#4 of 25	Map
Student	76	#362 of 2,119	#3 of 23	Map
First-home buyer	49	#2,554 of 8,006	#16 of 106	Map
Budget-constrained mover	37	#7,264 of 12,111	#135 of 191	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker	52	#2,267 of 4,114	#4 of 30	Map
Expat professional	44	#4,920 of 7,271	#33 of 101	Map
Healthcare-first mover	45	#7,263 of 9,474	#41 of 136	Map
Nature-focused household	44	#11,469 of 18,063	#204 of 270	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	17	#9,653 of 16,523	#92 of 243	Map
Rural value seeker	33	#12,884 of 18,063	#238 of 270	Map
High-net-worth mover	47	#8,848 of 16,523	#48 of 243	Map
Lottery winner	63	#4,175 of 21,167	#7 of 305	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	61	#6,661 of 12,111	#36 of 191	Map
Coastal living	62	#4,320 of 6,413	#46 of 114	Map
Business owner	49	#6,375 of 12,111	#35 of 191	Map
Digital native	59	#1,160 of 4,750	#3 of 36	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)100
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)99
Foundation92
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)82
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)79
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)77
Sea or lake shore74
Mobility and connectivity62
Health and elderly60
Education and family56
Flat land (terrain relief)53
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)50
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)47
Green space44
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)43
Lifestyle and amenities42
Jobs and economy38
Affordability34
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)28
Safety and community14
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)14
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

West Columbia (South Carolina) 4 km
Forest Acres 5 km
Cayce 5 km
Saint Andrews 8 km
Dentsville 10 km
Oak Grove (South Carolina, 10,291 residents) 10 km
Woodfield 12 km
Seven Oaks 12 km

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.