Columbia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Columbia
Knoxville
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs70 · Top 23%
Growth
88 · Top 1%
vs79 · Top 6%
Climate
75 · Top 19%
vs76 · Top 14%
Physical resilience
61 · Top 44%
vs63 · Top 41%
Housing affordability
89 · Bottom 34%
vs86 · Bottom 29%
Access
98 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 25%
Economic stability
57 · Top 42%
vs60 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | Knoxville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 849,181 | 932,241 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,359 | $72,422 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,960 | $40,856 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 229/sq mi | 266/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $232,400 | $290,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,193 | $1,145 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 70.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.5% | -1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 32.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7,101 | 7,902 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 8.4 | 8.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 29.9% | -0.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 55.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 40.6 | 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
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Knoxville
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Columbia, SC Metro Area · Knoxville, TN Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology