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Living in Columbia

Columbia is a city in the United States. There were 1,798 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Columbia had a population of 139,643 in July 2026. For Columbia, median household income was US$55,529 a year in July 2026.

More recorded crime than 92% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 84% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Columbia?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Columbia.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,204 per month, while the median home value was US$264,300 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 45.5%, and the vacancy rate was 14.4% in July 2026. 60% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Columbia recurring monthly costs, € per month€987Private kindergarten€207Utilities, 85 m² flat€56Internet, 60 Mbps€52Mobile plan, 10 GB€32Fitness club€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly32.22 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited55.87 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly986.8 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB51.62 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home206.7 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$1,204/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent60.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct14.42 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents5,252 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
Median monthly rent1,058 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count4,605 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

5.5% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 8,076 people of 147,035 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Columbia is 7.5%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Columbia 7.5%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd55,529 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct77.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct88.5 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct4 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct7.41 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct6.53 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary2,178 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,282 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov19Official
Unemployment rate7.48 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Columbia. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Columbia. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct91.23 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools103 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct33.01 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio96 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents1,798 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,044 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Columbia when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesColumbia highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Columbia highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas4,003Columbia3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents4,003 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting11Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents775.1 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
Safety City Violent Crime Count1,157 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute17.68 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.21 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct1 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct14.26 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Nearest airportCUB3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Columbia. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Columbia.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Columbia average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°40°JFMAMJJASOND35°3°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Columbia average monthly precipitation, mm0357010514098901047492137131127108847799JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Columbia annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.7PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Columbia is 8.7 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–9Columbia 8.758 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean8.65 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20248Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 15.33 · Feb 17.83 · Mar 22.11 · Apr 27 · May 30.67 · Jun 33.67 · Jul 35.33 · Aug 34.33 · Sep 31.56 · Oct 26.39 · Nov 20.5 · Dec 16.28 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00381944 (COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 2.61 · Feb 4.28 · Mar 7.67 · Apr 12 · May 16.56 · Jun 20.5 · Jul 22.28 · Aug 21.72 · Sep 18.72 · Oct 12.33 · Nov 6.72 · Dec 3.72 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00381944 (COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC)15Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 7.6 · Feb 9.5 · Mar 13.3 · Apr 17.8 · May 22.3 · Jun 26.2 · Jul 28 · Aug 27.2 · Sep 24.1 · Oct 18.1 · Nov 12.2 · Dec 8.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 97.54 · Feb 89.92 · Mar 104.4 · Apr 74.17 · May 92.2 · Jun 137.4 · Jul 131.3 · Aug 127.3 · Sep 107.9 · Oct 84.07 · Nov 77.22 · Dec 98.55 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00381944 (COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC)15Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M344.6 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M38.26 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count11 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm914.2 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul28.02 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature19.12 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan11.31 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Rockford147,384 residentsVisalia146,541 residentsMidland147,615 residentsThornton147,766 residentsWaco147,788 residentsPomona147,807 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Columbia residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport94.5%Foreign residents 5.5%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share3.69 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents8,076 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population646,895 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density409.9 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population147,035 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program17Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population147,021 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Is Columbia a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 33–53%
Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–70%
Student44%strong on education, weak on safety · range 33–55%
Family38%strong on family, weak on cost · range 28–48%
Retirement39%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 28–50%
Foreign residents8,076 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population147,035 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent60.03 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent1,058 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents5,252 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary2,178 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd264,300 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes45.52 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour64.68 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad5.78 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct2.1 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct3.69 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct59.68 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct78.1 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct7.74 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct45.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count0 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct88.52 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count3 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 20221,675,854 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 2022142 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus69,916 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct11.62 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct84.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Columbia?

The median gross salary is 3,282 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Columbia?

The unemployment rate is 7.48 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Columbia?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.65 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Columbia?

Police recorded 4,003 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Columbia?

The published population is 147,035 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Columbia?

8,076 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Columbia a good place to live?

Columbia may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Columbia (45), United States: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbia-sc/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_columbia-45-united-states-rent-salary_6a9ce44d4fd9,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Columbia (45), United States: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbia-sc/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Columbia (45), United States: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/columbia-sc/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  9. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  10. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
Show 12 more sources
  1. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  2. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00381944 (COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  12. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Columbia (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223228) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

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