Primary sources for Columbia, SC
- Census Bureau profile of Columbia, SC, ACS data
- EIA-861 utility data for Columbia, SC, prices
- DOE LEAD tool for Columbia, SC, energy burden
- NOAA storms and FEMA flood claims for Columbia, SC
Electricity rates in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, SC ranks 1 of 16 South Carolina cities with 30,000+ residents for damaging-wind and tornado reports within 15 miles (406 since 2015). Columbia, South Carolina has 138,019 residents in 51,784 households; 71.0% heat with electricity.
Columbia on the map
Richland County, with Columbia marked
Outage risk around Columbia
Columbia, SC, NWS reports within 15 miles of the centre, 2015 to 2025: 401 wind and 5 tornado, 294.2 per 100,000 residents of 138,019. Top gust near Columbia, SC: 78 knots, 90 mph. Damage near Columbia, SC: $466K.
Reports within 15 miles of Columbia, SC
wind and tornado reports, Columbia, SC
- 39'15
- 34'16
- 38'17
- 40'18
- 35'19
- 35'20
- 22'21
- 31'22
- 48'23
- 47'24
- 37'25
| Columbia, SC | Wind | Tornado | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC, 2015 | 39 | 0 | 39 |
| Columbia, SC, 2016 | 33 | 1 | 34 |
| Columbia, SC, 2017 | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| Columbia, SC, 2018 | 40 | 0 | 40 |
| Columbia, SC, 2019 | 33 | 2 | 35 |
| Columbia, SC, 2020 | 34 | 1 | 35 |
| Columbia, SC, 2021 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Columbia, SC, 2022 | 31 | 0 | 31 |
| Columbia, SC, 2023 | 48 | 0 | 48 |
| Columbia, SC, 2024 | 46 | 1 | 47 |
| Columbia, SC, 2025 | 37 | 0 | 37 |
Who supplies Columbia
Richland County lists 4 utilities for Columbia, SC (138,019 residents): homes pay 14.35 to 18.51 cents per kWh, about $151 to $194 a month at 1,050 kWh, 3.2% to 4.2% of the $55,653 Columbia median income. Richland County page.
Facts about Columbia
- Residents of Columbia, SC, ACS 2023
- 138,0192 of 16 South Carolina cities with 30,000+
- Median household income in Columbia, SC
- $55,65313 of 16 of those cities
- Households in Columbia, SC
- 51,7842.67 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Columbia, SC
- 47.3%24,477 owners and 27,307 renter households
- Housing units in Columbia, SC
- 60,5688,784 vacant or seasonal
- Homes heated by electricity in Columbia, SC
- 71.0%36,764 of 51,784 homes
- Land area of Columbia, SC
- 138.3 sq mi998.2 people per sq mi
- Bill as share of income in Columbia, SC
- 3.2% to 4.2%at 1,050 kWh a month over the $55,653 median household income
- Wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of Columbia, SC
- 406NWS point reports 2015 to 2025, 294.2 per 100,000 residents
- Median year homes were built in Columbia, SC
- 197831,457 of 60,568 homes (51.9%) before 1980
- Median home value and rent in Columbia, SC
- $243,500$1,158 gross rent a month, 5.71% of value a year
Who lives in Columbia: income, cars, homes
In Columbia, SC, 5,823 households own no vehicle and 24,293 own two or more; home EV charging depends on that. 26,148 residents of Columbia, SC live below the poverty line, and the median age is 28.7. In Columbia, SC, 14,607 of 25,325 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent; 26,313 households moved in since 2018 and 6,500 before 2000, so electric accounts turn over quickly. In Columbia, SC, 17,262 of 51,784 households earn under $35,000, 14,729 $35,000-$75,000, 11,592 $75,000-$150,000 and 8,201 $150,000 or more. Columbia, SC homes: 30,769 have 3+ bedrooms, 10,611 none or one, median 5.1 rooms. Of 69,918 workers in Columbia, SC, 6,866 work from home, 43,954 drive alone, 1,011 ride transit and 11,477 walk.
Household income in Columbia, SC
| Columbia, SC | Value | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC, households under $35,000 | 33.3% | 3 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, households $150,000 or more | 15.8% | 10 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, residents below poverty | 23.3% | 2 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, median age | 28.7 | 16 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, homes with 3+ bedrooms | 50.8% | 14 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, households without a vehicle | 11.2% | 1 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, households with 2+ vehicles | 46.9% | 15 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, workers at home | 9.8% | 10 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, cost-burdened renters | 57.7% | 2 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, moved in since 2018 | 50.8% | 3 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, moved in before 2000 | 12.6% | 8 of 16 |
Housing and heating in Columbia
Columbia, SC: 31,457 of 60,568 homes were built before 1980 and 17,334 in 2000 or later. Columbia, SC has 31,068 detached houses, 18,884 homes in 5+ unit buildings and 635 mobile homes.
Age of homes in Columbia, SC
% of homes by decade built, Columbia, SC
- 10pre-40
- 940s
- 1350s
- 1060s
- 1070s
- 1080s
- 1090s
- 1500s
- 1310s
- 120+
Heating fuel in Columbia, SC
| Columbia, SC | Value | County | Gap | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC, median year built | 1978 | 1989 | -11 years | 15 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, built before 1980 | 51.9% | 39.0% | +13.0 points | 2 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, built 2000 or later | 28.6% | 33.7% | -5.0 points | 13 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, detached houses | 51.3% | 64.1% | -12.8 points | 11 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 31.2% | 20.7% | +10.5 points | 5 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, mobile homes | 1.0% | 4.7% | -3.7 points | 10 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, renter households | 52.7% | 39.6% | +13.1 points | 2 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, median home value | $243,500 | $224,200 | +$19,300 | 13 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, median gross rent a month | $1,158 | $1,185 | -$27 | 11 of 16 |
| Columbia, SC, people per household | 2.16 | 2.36 | -0.20 | 13 of 16 |
Cost of living with electricity in Columbia
Columbia, SC: 51,784 households at $1,991 a year per home for electricity (Richland County average, DOE LEAD) come to about $103.1 million, an estimate; all home energy is $2,311 a year per household.
| Group in Columbia, SC | Households | Power per home | Power bill of the group | Share of Columbia, SC median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC, all households | 51,784 | $1,991 | $103.1 million | 3.58% |
| Columbia, SC, homeowners | 24,477 | $2,192 | $53.7 million | 3.94% |
| Columbia, SC, renters | 27,307 | $1,691 | $46.2 million | 3.04% |
Analyst note on Columbia
Columbia, SC counts 138,019 residents in 51,784 households, on 138.3 square miles. Household income in Columbia, SC is $55,653; 24,477 of its 51,784 households own. 36,764 of the 51,784 occupied homes in Columbia, SC heat with electricity.
Columbia, SC has 60,568 housing units, 8,784 of them vacant or seasonal. Columbia, SC ranks 1 of 16 South Carolina cities for households without a vehicle (11.2%). Columbia, SC ranks 1 of 16 South Carolina cities for the youngest residents (median age 28.7).
Columbia, SC ranks 2 of 16 South Carolina cities for the oldest homes (median year built 1978).
Bill and heat pump calculator, Columbia
Compare Columbia with nearby cities
| City near Columbia, SC | Distance from Columbia | Residents | Median income | Median year built | Median home value | Storm reports within 15 miles | Work from home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC (this page) | 0 mi | 138,019 | $55,653 | 1978 | $243,500 | 406 | 9.8% |
| Sumter, SC | 30.0 mi east | 43,065 (-94,954) | $53,071 (-$2,582) | 1986 (+8 yr) | $188,400 (-$55,100) | 199 (-207) | 5.3% (-4.5 pts) |
| Aiken, SC | 58.7 mi southwest | 32,334 (-105,685) | $69,837 (+$14,184) | 1987 (+9 yr) | $261,800 (+$18,300) | 155 (-251) | 9.8% (-0.0 pts) |
| Rock Hill, SC | 62.4 mi north | 74,769 (-63,250) | $64,770 (+$9,117) | 1995 (+17 yr) | $267,400 (+$23,900) | 94 (-312) | 9.3% (-0.5 pts) |
| Florence, SC | 64.4 mi east | 40,205 (-97,814) | $56,433 (+$780) | 1982 (+4 yr) | $189,800 (-$53,700) | 138 (-268) | 10.1% (+0.3 pts) |
| Summerville, SC | 82.8 mi southeast | 51,262 (-86,757) | $78,621 (+$22,968) | 2001 (+23 yr) | $295,700 (+$52,200) | 268 (-138) | 8.2% (-1.6 pts) |
ZIP codes in Columbia
| ZIP area touching Columbia, SC | Share of the ZIP's land inside Columbia | Share of Columbia's land in the ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 29207 (Columbia, SC) | 100.0% | 47.9% |
| 29044 (Columbia, SC) | 9.8% | 9.8% |
| 29203 (Columbia, SC) | 16.8% | 7.7% |
| 29209 (Columbia, SC) | 18.2% | 7.0% |
| 29201 (Columbia, SC) | 56.0% | 4.7% |
| 29205 (Columbia, SC) | 94.2% | 4.4% |
| 29210 (Columbia, SC) | 36.1% | 4.4% |
| 29212 (Columbia, SC) | 24.6% | 3.8% |
| 29204 (Columbia, SC) | 68.7% | 3.2% |
| 29045 (Columbia, SC) | 5.2% | 2.6% |
| 29206 (Columbia, SC) | 33.6% | 2.1% |
| 29208 (Columbia, SC) | 100.0% | 0.1% |
| 29225 (Columbia, SC) | 100.0% | 0.0% |
Census 2020 ZCTA to place land-area overlap. Look up any ZIP.
South Carolina: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Columbia
Columbia: what is the electricity rate?
Columbia, SC has no price of its own; its 138,019 residents are served by one of 4 utilities, and a 1,050 kWh month costs $151 to $194.
Columbia: how does it rank among South Carolina cities?
Columbia, SC: rank 2 of 16 by its 138,019 residents, rank 13 of 16 by $55,653 median income.
Columbia: how many homes heat with electricity?
Columbia, SC: 36,764 of 51,784 occupied homes, 71.0%; Richland County 73.0%.
Columbia: how much income goes to electricity?
At 1,050 kWh a month, 3.2% to 4.2% of the $55,653 median income in Columbia, SC.
Columbia: damaging storms reported nearby?
406 NWS wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of the centre of Columbia, SC, 2015 to 2025, 294.2 per 100,000 residents.
How old are the homes in Columbia?
Columbia, SC: median home built 1978; 31,457 of 60,568 homes (51.9%) predate 1980, 31,068 are detached and 18,884 sit in buildings of 5+ units.
How many Columbia, SC households have no car?
5,823 households; 24,293 have two or more.
How many residents of Columbia, SC live below the poverty line?
26,148 residents.
How many Columbia, SC renters struggle with rent?
14,607 of 25,325 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent.