Signals
Irmo
Columbia
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs61 · Top 40%
Climate
72 · Top 43%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 44%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs62 · Bottom 23%
Schools
81 · Top 13%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs96 · Top 33%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Irmo | Columbia | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,813 | 139,643 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,489 | $55,529 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,333 | $39,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,730/sq mi | 1,008/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $203,400 | $264,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,477 | $1,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.2% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 24.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 43.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 18.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.3 | 28.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.00 | 12.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 49.4% | 27.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.6% | 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
Irmo
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Columbia
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake.
Full profiles: Irmo, SC · Columbia, SC · How this is calculated: methodology