With three rivers converging in the heart of the city, outdoor recreation is plentiful
At the confluence of the Broad, Saluda and Congaree rivers, the city’s natural landscape provides a variety of outdoor recreation, including more than 60 municipal parks and green spaces. Highlights include Riverfront Park on the Congaree; Finlay Park, one of the largest handicapped accessible parks in the U.S.; and Granby Park, part of a 12-mile greenway with access to all three rivers. Lake Murray is conveniently located just west of the city, providing additional access to an array of outdoor adventures that includes boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing and camping. The 18 miles of trails in Harbison State Forest are popular for mountain bikers, hikers and joggers, and the 26,000-acre Congaree National Park is home to the country's largest tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. Since 2008, the city has been designated a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community. Columbians also love their tee time, and there are plenty of country clubs and golf clubs in and around the city.
The Columbia Canal was built in 1824, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Public bike rentals are available to pedal home from Segra Park in the Bull Street District.
Skateboarders can catch some air at the Owens Field Skate Park in Rosewood.
The Rosewood Crawfish Festival is a day filled with Cajun cuisine, lively music, and fun.
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A blend of new and old in the South Carolina capital
As one of the first planned cities in the United States, Columbia is a modern city rooted in tradition. The South Carolina capital is home to the grand State House, which has been rebuilt, reshaped and reimagined over more than 230 years. It is also home to the University of South Carolina, one of the top public research schools in the country, with roots dating back to 1801. And it's home to Fort Jackson, the Army’s largest center for basic training. Taken together, the city of almost 140,000 is part government town, part college town, part military town. “One of the things that makes the Columbia market an interesting one is that we have three main cogs in our wheel that constantly churn people in and out of the city,” says Mary Lane Sloan, Realtor with The ART of Real Estate and lifelong Columbia resident. The vibrant city is replete with eclectic housing, buzzy commercial districts, and an array of entertainment and recreation. Another big selling point for Columbia is that it's 115 miles from the Charleston area along the coastline and about 150 miles from the mountains around Asheville.
The USC Horshoe has dozens of benches to relax and have some reading time.
Wales Garden is adjacent to Five Points and 5 minutes from downtown.
A table will not remain empty for very long during lunch at No Name Deli.
The Columbia Canal is a notable example of the engineering expertise of the 19th century.
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Public school district is rated B-minus; USC nationally recognized for its research work
City students are served by Richland County School District One, the fifth-largest district in the state. The district comprises 52 schools and is rated B-minus by Niche. The city’s top eight schools are rated A-minus or better, with the A-rated Dreher High School at the top, but the majority of schools are rated between C-minus and C-plus. The school district has a lower rating than the Lexington County School District one in neighboring Lexington. The University of South Carolina is the flagship institution of the state university system and the largest university in the state, with an enrollment of more than 36,000. The Carnegie Foundation has recognized USC as an R1 school, the highest classification for a public research university.
Cardinal Newman School, near Spring Valley is a private school option with a Niche grade of A.
Dutch Fork High School has an overall rating of A from Niche.
Lexington High School puts students on the path of academic success.
Columbia's University Hill mixes USC history with a highly walkable downtown.
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Vibrant dining scene includes multiple nationally recognized restaurants
Columbia is known for regional foods such as pimento cheese spread and “chicken bog,” a rice and chicken dish, but the city is also home to a thriving modern dining scene. “One of the things that makes Columbia unique is that we have a bunch of little pockets that are known for different things,” Sloan says. The CITY GRIT dining hub includes SmallSUGAR café and Il Focolare Pizzaria, signature eateries that helped earn the CITY GRIT Hospitality Group a 2023 James Beard Awards nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur. Downtown is the city’s culinary epicenter, where award-winning restaurants sit alongside ethnic eateries, fast-casual options, coffee shops, bakeries and vegan cafés. There are also more than 45 restaurants and bars at The Vista, a warehouse-turned-entertainment district that offers everything from groceries to high-end clothing shops. Devine Street is the heart of a chic retail district full of upscale boutiques, while Five Points, a historic district near the university, mixes contemporary and traditional businesses.
Some customers have been eating lunch at No Name Deli for over twenty years.
Iron Hill Brewery is a popular lunch spot for locals and visitors to Columbia.
Locally-owned Taziki's in Heathwood is a convenient place to meet for lunch.
Award-winning Cinnamon Roll Deli has a steady flow of repeat customers as well as new ones.
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Colorful bus line, surrounding interstates allow for convenient travel
Residents have access to bus travel throughout the region, with fare prices on regular routes as low as $2. The COMET buses are painted in bright neon colors, offering a $1 shuttle service, the Soda Pop Connection, between city attractions in and around downtown. Public school students and those attending Columbia College and Midlands Technical College can ride the bus for free, and USC students have free access to campus destinations. Residents can travel in and out of Columbia with ease, as three interstates – I-26, I-20 and I-77 – surround the city.
Offering a $1 shuttle service, the Soda Pop Connection gets you in and around town.
The Columbia Comet public transit system is available in Spring Valley.
The Comet Transit system offers service to all of Metro Columbia and Killian.
Public transportation is available to residents in Pontiac-Elgin.
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Football is king, but music is not far behind
The largest, most popular venue in the city is Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the University of South Carolina football team. More than 80,000 fans fill up the stadium for Saturday home games. The Gamecocks have been a community staple since 1896, the first year they faced longtime rival Clemson. Of course, there’s more to the city than football. Large-scale concerts are held at Colonial Life Arena, also home to USC’s men’s and women’s basketball. However, the heart of the city’s music scene is found in intimate venues such as Tin Roof, The Senate and Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor, mostly in and around downtown. The city is also home to the Columbia Fireflies, a Low-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals that plays at Segra Park from April through September in the Bull Street area. Among other museums and theaters, The Columbia Marionette Theater is one of only a few remaining dedicated puppet theaters in the country. Though Camden is about 30 miles north of Columbia, residents here flock there every year for the Carolina Cup. Though residents love the horse racing during the cup, dressing to the nines and taking part of the many tailgates are just as important.
The Aquarium and Reptile exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo has many exotic reptiles.
Drums from Pakistan have a unique sound from their camel-skin heads.
The Robert Mills House is a National Historic Landmark and operates as a historic house mus
Segra Park near Belmont is home to the Columbia Fireflies of the Carolina League.
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An expansive variety of housing options and price points is available
The median home price in Columbia is $325,000, lower than the national median. Condos and some two-bedroom homes start under $100,000 and usually cap around $500,000. Sprawling estate homes can sell between $700,000 and $2 million. "Downtown is going to be a little more expensive, but in the suburbs, you can get a nice-sized house,” Sloan says. Other popular neighborhoods include Old Shandon , Rosewood and Elmwood Park , which feature a mix of historic and contemporary homes, as well as the planned subdivisions concentrated on the east and south sides of the city. Traditional ranch-style homes from the 1950s are prominent, while renovated Cape Cods, Craftsman bungalows, Victorians and brick Colonial Revival homes illustrate the city’s architectural diversity. Meanwhile, contemporary townhouses pop up closer to the city center in communities like Congaree Vista . The Vision 2030 plan also aims to convert most public housing into modern multifamily housing, including apartments for seniors 62 and up.
Various architectural styles in Cottonwood include stately Colonials.
One of Columbia's grand homes in this Spanish-style masterpiece on Saluda Avenue.
Saluda Avenue has many Craftsman-style homes in a variety of sizes.
Heathwood has modern new homes in Columbia.
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Humid summers and high property crime
Weather-wise, Columbia has moderate winters and humid summers averaging about 45 inches of rain per year. According to the Columbia Police Department, violent crime dropped 27% from 2023, and overall crime saw a decrease as well. In an attempt to lower violent crime, the city initiated programs like Project Ceasefire, which involves working with community groups to help lower gun crime.
On average, homes in Columbia, SC sell after 44 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Columbia, SC over the last 12 months is $252,103, up 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
