Columbia, SC town hall & government
Columbia spent $502.3 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,595 per resident.
Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Columbia's government.
Coming up at Columbia's town hall
- Oct 6Tue · 12:00 pm
- Oct 6Tue · 4:00 pmCity CouncilCity Council MeetingCity Hall, 1737 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Council Chambers Meeting page ↗
- Oct 8Thu · 4:00 pm
- Oct 13Tue · 11:00 amEconomic Development and Infrastructure CommitteeEconomic Development and Infrastructure Committee MeetingCity Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference Room Meeting page ↗
- Oct 20Tue · 10:00 amGeneralCommunity Development Committee Meeting1737 Main Street, Mayor's Conference Room Meeting page ↗
- Oct 20Tue · 4:00 pm
Recent meetings
- Sep 22Tue · 1:00 pmHealth Social and Environmental Affairs CommitteeHealth Social and Environmental Affairs Committee MeetingCity Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference Room Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 22Tue · 10:00 amCity Council Standing CommitteeAdminstrative Policy Committee MeetingCity Hall, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference Room Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 15Tue · 4:00 pmCity CouncilCity Council MeetingCity Hall, 1737 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Council Chambers Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 15Tue · 3:30 pmGeneralWork SessionCity Hall, 1737 Main Street., 2nd Floor, Mayor’s Conference Room Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 15Tue · 1:00 pmGeneralMunicipal Court Advisory Committee1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference Room Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 15Tue · 10:00 amCommunity Development CommitteeCommunity Development Committee Meeting1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Mayor's Conference Room Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 14Mon · 3:00 pmBull Street CommissionBull Street Commission MeetingSegra Park/MUSC Health Conference Room, 1640 Freed Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep 10Thu · 4:00 pm
Official listings from Columbia's agenda portal ↗, checked daily. Times are local. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check the portal before you go.
Where Columbia's money goes
Where the money comes from
- Utility sales 24%
- Fees & charges 20%
- Interest, fines & other 11%
- From the state 10%
- Property taxes 10%
- Sales taxes 8%
- Other taxes & licenses 7%
- From other local governments 6%
- From the federal government 3%
Who works for Columbia
Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate. Columbia didn't report its staffing to the Census Bureau, so these are the Bureau's estimates.
Richland School District 2
Columbia's K–12 school district, shared with Blythewood and Arcadia Lakes. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.
Where the district's money comes from South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal
- Local 43%
- State 47%
- Federal 10%
Of the $14,935 per pupil, $7,662 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.
Also serving Columbia: Richland School District 1 ($20,012 per pupil) · Lexington School District 5 ($16,036 per pupil).
Which schools Columbia kids attend, test scores and graduation rate →
What homeowners in Columbia pay
The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Contact Columbia's government
Who represents Columbia
Columbia is represented in Congress by Senators Tim Scott and Darline Graham and Representatives Joe Wilson and James E. Clyburn. Henry McMaster is governor.
Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.