Columbia: Housing & Real Estate
Columbia homes sell at a median $264,300 (estimated market value runs 21% higher at $319,506), with median rent $1,204 (about the same as Richland County median $1,228; about the same as South Carolina median $1,180). Homeownership rate: 45.5%. That's 1.1× higher than the Richland County median ($242,800); about the same as the South Carolina median ($259,000). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 14.5%. New construction makes up 15.7% of stock. 13 nursing facilities on file. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 4.8× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs South Carolina 4.0×).
- 18.3 years to break even renting at the median (vs South Carolina 18y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.9× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 5% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $264,300 — 1.0× the South Carolina median ($264,300). Median rent $1,204/month. homeownership rate 45.5% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 4.8× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 25.0% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 51.5% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 24.0% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 3.1% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,032 (vs South Carolina $1,145) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,164 (vs South Carolina $1,221) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,276 (vs South Carolina $1,339) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,623 (at South Carolina median) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,911 (vs South Carolina $1,943) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $319,506 |
| Median Home Value | $264,300 (at South Carolina median) |
| Median Rent | $1,204 (at South Carolina median) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 14.5% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 15.7% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 8.5% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 54 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (15)
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Carolina median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at South Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 39.2% (vs South Carolina 52.8%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 68,015 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.23¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2581882 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $4,632 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at South Carolina median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.984778122 (vs South Carolina 100.0%) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 67 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 59 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 115 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 72 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 45.5% (vs South Carolina 63.1%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1980 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12