Forest Acres and West 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
Forest Acres
West Columbia
Opportunity
74 · Top 16%
vs75 · Top 14%
Growth
35 · Bottom 25%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs72 · Top 43%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs58 · Bottom 49%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 31%
vs77 · Bottom 44%
Schools
61 · Top 37%
vs54 · Top 47%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs50 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Forest Acres | West Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,530 | 17,963 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,306 | $56,912 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,339 | $36,920 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,274/sq mi | 1,908/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $279,300 | $201,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,263 | $1,201 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 55.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.0% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 13.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 123 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 6.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.7" | 45.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 21.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.74 | 14.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 42.0% | 38.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 50.4% | 45.7% | 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
Forest Acres
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
West Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Forest Acres
70
Your Score
69
Area Score
West Columbia
69
Your Score
68
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Forest Acres, SC · West Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology