Columbia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Asheville
Columbia
Opportunity
62 · Top 38%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
74 · Top 13%
vs88 · Top 1%
Climate
77 · Top 13%
vs75 · Top 19%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 30%
vs61 · Top 44%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 11%
vs89 · Bottom 34%
Access
97 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 8%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 40%
vs57 · Top 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Asheville | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 414,711 | 849,181 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,838 | $68,359 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,135 | $37,960 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 280/sq mi | 229/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,900 | $232,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,296 | $1,193 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 69.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | 2.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.5% | 35.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 14.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4,796 | 7,101 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.6 | 8.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 49.9% | 29.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.6" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.0 | 37.6 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Asheville
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: Asheville, NC Metro Area · Columbia, SC Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology