Cayce and Columbia receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Cayce
Columbia
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs89 · Top 1%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Schools
23 · Bottom 15%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Cayce | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,741 | 139,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,045 | $55,529 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,863 | $39,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 814/sq mi | 1,008/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $166,800 | $264,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,360 | $1,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.5% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.1% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 17 | 3,198 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 22.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.2% | 106.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.3 min | 18.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 28.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.41 | 12.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 24.7% | 27.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.2% | 33.3% | 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
Cayce
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: Cayce, SC · Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology