Signals
Columbia
Salisbury
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 38%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
67 · Top 40%
vs63 · Top 45%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 32%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Schools
6 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Access
78 · Bottom 20%
vs77 · Bottom 19%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 32%
vs29 · Bottom 6%
Measured values
| Metric | Columbia | Salisbury | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,441 | 35,825 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,719 | $53,716 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,500 | $32,043 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,245/sq mi | 1,551/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $308,700 | $242,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,197 | $1,071 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.3% | 51.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 29.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 26.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 27°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 56.8" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 40 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.7 min | 23.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.4% | 16.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 18.1% | 27.5% | 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.
Tennessee and North Carolina do not give the same test. Each state writes its own assessment and sets its own passing score, so the two proficiency rows above are not directly comparable — the difference between them partly measures which standard is harder. Students per teacher and the school count are unaffected, and each profile ranks its own proficiency within its own state.
Full profiles: Columbia, TN · Salisbury, NC · How this is calculated: methodology