Columbia, SC housing market
The typical Columbia home is worth about $230,000, up 1.1% in a year, 25% below the South Carolina typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Columbia compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Columbia at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Columbia | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $127,000 | $171,000 |
| 2018 | $132,000 | $180,000 |
| 2019 | $139,000 | $190,000 |
| 2020 | $147,000 | $201,000 |
| 2021 | $160,000 | $222,000 |
| 2022 | $185,000 | $260,000 |
| 2023 | $211,000 | $291,000 |
| 2024 | $220,000 | $301,000 |
| 2025 | $227,000 | $306,000 |
| 2026 | $230,000 | $305,000 |
| August 2026 | $230,000 | $306,000 |
1,956 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1,956 new homes in Columbia in 2025: 910 single-family houses and 1,046 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $336.6 million to build. That's 14 per 1,000 residents, faster than across South Carolina (9.4). Over the past 10 years, Columbia has permitted 11,632 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Columbia gained 7,360 residents while 3,803 new homes were permitted: about 1.9 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across South Carolina: 1.8 new residents per new home.
How Columbia ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2,317 | 514 | 1,803 | $473.4 million |
| 2025 | 1,956 | 910 | 1,046 | $336.6 million |
| 2024 | 2,148 | 833 | 1,315 | $356 million |
| 2023 | 1,601 | 883 | 718 | $341.9 million |
| 2022 | 2,131 | 772 | 1,359 | $354.5 million |
| 2021 | 1,700 | 804 | 896 | $303.8 million |
| 2020 | 545 | 541 | 4 | $98 million |
| 2019 | 474 | 464 | 10 | $87.7 million |
| 2018 | 477 | 449 | 28 | $85.2 million |
| 2017 | 349 | 341 | 8 | $73.4 million |
| 2016 | 251 | 251 | 0 | $49.8 million |
| 2015 | 508 | 220 | 288 | $57.2 million |
| 2014 | 546 | 204 | 342 | $63.3 million |
| 2013 | 179 | 179 | 0 | $37.9 million |
| 2012 | 469 | 198 | 271 | $41.3 million |
| 2011 | 251 | 199 | 52 | $40.9 million |
| 2010 | 299 | 203 | 96 | $30.6 million |
| 2009 | 303 | 265 | 38 | $33.1 million |
| 2008 | 860 | 434 | 426 | $96.7 million |
| 2007 | 1,191 | 700 | 491 | $123.1 million |
| 2006 | 1,054 | 667 | 387 | $128.1 million |
| 2005 | 656 | 597 | 59 | $96.7 million |
| 2004 | 839 | 523 | 316 | $99.6 million |
| 2003 | 500 | 372 | 128 | $61.4 million |
| 2002 | 656 | 398 | 258 | $59.4 million |
| 2001 | 443 | 443 | 0 | $59.6 million |
| 2000 | 836 | 416 | 420 | $69.9 million |
How Columbia ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Columbia and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $230K | +1.1% | $1,350 | 1,956 | $55,529 |
| St. Andrews | — | +3.8%† | $1,370 | — | $46,511 |
| Capitol View | — | +1%† | $1,390 | — | $46,645 |
| Forest Acres | $337K | +5.2% | $1,390 | 2 | $78,306 |
| Dentsville | — | −1.3%† | $1,380 | — | $45,473 |
| Olympia | — | +4.4%† | $1,720 | — | $29,663 |
| Arthurtown | — | +4.4%† | $1,720 | — | $21,046 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
4.1 years of income
The typical Columbia home costs about 4.1 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across South Carolina (4.4).
How Columbia ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,350
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Columbia is $1,350 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Columbia pay a median of $1,204, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 29% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,090 · 4 bedrooms $2,020
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (29044, 29045, 29201, 29203, 29204, 29205 and 5 more; Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Columbia
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.