137,996
Population
Sunny Days: 218
56100 Affordability
80100 Schools
60100 Diversity
60100 Safety
Columbia, South Carolina
Cola
Main Street
Capitol Building
Riverside Circle
Wildlife Parkway
The Best Thing About Columbia?
The College Life
When you’re in a small city like Columbia and there's a ballet, live performance theater(even puppeteers) an orchestra, great restaurants, tons of bars and more sports activities than you can possibly experience, you can be pretty sure you’re in a college town.
The University of South Carolina calls Columbia home and this is also the is capital of South Carolina which means you’re getting more here than cities 3x its size. That means 3x as much fun with only a 1/3rd the population!
The Worst Thing About Columbia?
Famously Hot Columbia
It’s no shock that South Carolina is toasty but Columbia is particularly hot due to its distance from the coast and because its historically light tree shading can't absorb or store heat and cool things off a bit.
There is a major planting initiative coming from the University and the Columbia Tree and Appearance Commission that will help with some of this down the road but in the meantime locals just try to stay inside during the summer months when the sun is shining bright. If you’re thinking about moving here from a northern climate you’ve probably already braced yourself for the southern heat but figured we’d give you one last warning.
Lifestyle of Columbia?
Arts Rule
As was noted, Columbia punches above its weight for cultural and social experiences. First, you get civic institutions like the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. You get a live theater scene that includes more than a dozen venues and companies including Trustus, a renowned professional theater company. You also get the Columbia City Ballet and the Columbia Classical Ballet companies.
The topper to all this is that the University of South Carolina also has departments of dance, theater, opera, music, sports and arts, all of which offer performances to the public. Trust us, you’ll have something to do virtually event night or day.
The restaurant and food scene in Columbia have also been growing over the last 10-15 years. One joyful oddity to the food scene is the ubiquity of Pimento Cheese on the menus throughout town. The city claims to have one of the oldest published recipes for the cheese from a 1912 cookbook. It’s a thing. We could spend more time researching why instead chose to just enjoy the cheese and move on. Outside of that you get amazing BBQ and glorious southern cooking (the grits are world class).
Families gravitate to Columbia in part due to the lower cost of living and growing suburban development. Outdoor play happens along and on Three Rivers Greenway. Tubing, fishing and hiking and biking the trails along the river are all popular options. Saluda Shoals Park is another family-destination. It’s an environmentally sensitive riverfront park along the Saluda River and offers Tennis Courts, Baseball Fields, Ropes Course, Disc Golf Course and miles and miles of Wetland Preserve and pave and unpaved hiking and biking trails.
Schools in Columbia
Columbia has several school districts serving students. The two big ones; Richmond School District No. 2 and Richmond School District No. 1, score an “A-” and a “B-” respectively on niche.com. The geographical dividing line is pretty much HIghway 20 with District 2 north of the freeway and District 1 on the south side. It should be noted that there are plenty of high performing schools in each district with Round Top and Lake Carolina Elementary Schools and Spring Valley High School in District 2 all getting “A’s”.
Rosewood, Brennan, Satchel Ford, and Brockman Elementary Schools in District 1 all coming in with “A-" on niche.com. And Dreher and A.C. Flora High Schools getting “A’s” and “A-’s,” respectively. There are good options throughout the city if you do your homework.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Movin' On Up!
Plenty of college towns have seen real estate prices explode in recent years as young people and empty-nesters/retirees seek them out for their cool factor and manageability. Columbia has seen growth but not to the degree of other cities with similar cultural and social opportunities. If you’re looking for a city with big plans and room to run then Columbia should be on your short list.
Living in Columbia
Neighborhoods in Columbia
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Downtown
Young Professionals/DINKs
For a young professional you can’t beat the downtown district. The area includes the Congaree Vista or just Vista, which is a hotbed of the social scene due to its more than 60 restaurants and nightclubs and the fact it is adjacent to the South Carolina State House and the University of South Carolina. While the single and couples crowd enjoys walking to the entertainment district that downtown affords, there’s also a ton to do her for families including the South Carolina State Museum and EdVenture Children’s Museum.
Downtown also includes the Five Points area and local and tourist hotspots like the Nickelodeon Theater and Columbia Museum of Art. Five Points is Columbia’s original village neighborhood and is the center of the public arts district for the city as well as the host to many of the cities most iconic landmarks.
Housing downtown includes condos in converted warehouses and plenty of newer development for rentals including: Canalside Lofts and the Vista Commons. Median price for a condo in downtown Columbia is $319k and rentals run an average $1.3k.
Forest Hills
Families/DINKs
If you’re looking for a bit more quiet and family-friendly vibes, check out Forest Hills. The area was developed in the 1920’s and the beautiful homes and tree-lined streets are so beloved and bucolic the community is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s pretty ideal for families who don’t want to be too far away from an active lifestyle as it sits just outside the Five Points and Vista neighborhoods so getting to nightlife and activities for the kiddos is a walk or short drive away.Citadel Park is where families typical play, with picnic spots, playground area, and tennis and basketball courts. Kiddos in the neighborhood attend Satchel Ford Elementary, Crayton Middle and A.C. Flora High School. All highly rated choices in Richland School District One.
The homes are mostly Colonial, Craftsman or Tudors, and were built between the ‘20’s and the 50’s and home sales average ~$340k.
Arcadia Lakes
Families
Another popular historic neighborhood is Arcadia Lakes. It gives locals who want to be close to downtown a more suburban feel as a result of its rural roots. Most of the housing is single family and you can find super-premium homes on the lake with small docks and ample fishing and relaxing on the water. Homes on the hill offer beautiful views of nearby Lake Murray as well as seven other local lakes. There are several parks in the area including Sesquicentennial State Park (also referred to as "Sesqui"), featuring camping, kayaking and canoeing, fishing and plenty of playgrounds and picnic spots. There are also miles of trails for hiking and biking.
Homes are typically ranches and split-levels although there are monster lakefront developments that pull in those looking for something more upscale. Average home sale price is $418k.