Anderson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Columbia
Anderson
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
89 · Top 1%
vs80 · Top 5%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs64 · Top 45%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 23%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Schools
28 · Bottom 20%
vs72 · Top 24%
Access
96 · Top 33%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 15%
vs38 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | Anderson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 139,643 | 30,051 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,529 | $46,933 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,058 | $29,386 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,008/sq mi | 1,877/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $264,300 | $218,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,204 | $975 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.5% | 51.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.9% | 28.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.0% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 3,198 | 281 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 22.9 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 106.6% | 9.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.8 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.6 | 32.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 69 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.69 | 15.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.2% | 52.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.3% | 51.6% | 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
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Anderson
Elevated or high exposure: cold wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: Columbia, SC · Anderson, SC · How this is calculated: methodology