29209 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
29209
29210
Opportunity
60 · Top 40%
vs55 · Top 49%
Growth
90 · Top 1%
vs90 · Top 1%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs72 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 41%
vs63 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 40%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Schools
23 · Bottom 14%
vs24 · Bottom 15%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 27%
vs37 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | 29209 | 29210 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,041 | 39,962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,772 | $50,871 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,989 | $27,044 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 720/sq mi | 2,384/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $206,500 | $194,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,326 | $1,117 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.7% | 36.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 29.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3,198 | 3,198 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 22.9 | 22.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 106.6% | 106.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 45.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 34.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.21 | 11.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.2% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.1% | 21.3% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
29209
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
29210
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: 29209 — Columbia, SC · 29210 — Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology