Profile for Columbia, South Carolina, SC

Columbia is on the Congaree River.

The city was chosen as the capital as a compromise between up-country and low-country residents.

Sherman's troops captured the city in 1865; most buildings were burned.

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 1,342. The number of murders and homicides was 15. The violent crime rate was 11.3 per 1,000 people.

Ranked No. 1 among medium-sized cities in the ePodunk College Town Index, 2002

Well-known residents have included:
· President Woodrow Wilson
· Terrence Trammell, Olympic medallist
· James William "Bill" Anderson, country music performer

Local bands (past and present) have included Hootie & the Blowfish

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Panera Bread, Starbucks

Local festivals include:

• South Carolina State Fair - Oct. 10-21, 2007
• Rosewood Crawfish Festival - May 5, 2007
• International Festival - March 31-April 1, 2007
• South Carolina Book Festival - Feb. 23-25, 2007
• South Carolina Pride Festival - Sept. 22, 2007

Performing arts: Columbia City Ballet, South Carolina Philharmonic

Nearby parks & recreation: Sesquicentennial State Park

Columbia attractions: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Sports teams: Inferno (ECHL hockey)

Historic sites and museums: South Carolina State Museum, Columbia Museum of Art, McKissick Museum, South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Museum, Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home, EdVenture, Fort Jackson Museum

Colleges and universities: University of South Carolina, South University - Columbia, Columbia College, Benedict College, Allen University, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 108

Listed places near Columbia

Airports (1)

Archives (2)

Attractions (1)

Cemeteries (34)

Colleges (7)

Communities (20)

Historic sites (1)

Hotels (63)

Libraries (12)

Military bases (1)

Museums (6)

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

Neighborhoods in Columbia include Rosewood ... More neighborhood info

Neighborhoods in Columbia include Rosewood ... More neighborhood info

• Columbia population
• Ancestry of people in Columbia
• Housing in Columbia
• Income in Columbia
• Marital status of adults in Columbia
• Place of birth of people in Columbia
• Residence in 1995, of people in Columbia
• School enrollment & education levels in Columbia
• Transportation & commute times in Columbia
• Richland County data
• Fastest-growing counties in South Carolina
• State data - South Carolina
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Columbia demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Richland County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Columbia area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 29205 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Columbia city government
• Richland County government
• Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• Columbia tourism

9% of Columbia residents report German ancestry, and 7% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Columbia ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Columbia
• Cemeteries in Richland County
• Genealogy page (SC GenWeb) for Richland County
• Libraries in or near Columbia

Post a query on a message board:

• Richland County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - SC data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

Dance

• Columbia City Ballet

Music

• South Carolina Philharmonic

• Columbia area attractions
• Columbia museums
• Columbia historic sites
• Columbia area parks
• Wineries near Columbia

• Columbia, South Carolina: A Postcard History

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Columbia area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Richland County
• Cemetery record compendium
• South Carolina cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Columbia
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Richland County

• Columbia business guide
• Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in South Carolina
• Local ordinances in South Carolina (Partial selection)

• Crime in Richland County
• Arrests in Richland County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in South Carolina
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Columbia was $18,853, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Richland County economic census
• Richland County economic summary
• Richland County employment growth
• Richland County unemployment rate
• South Carolina economic data

36% of Columbia residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Columbia
• Colleges in South Carolina
• Learning Disabilities Association in South Carolina
• Schools in or near Columbia
• School districts in or near Columbia
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of South Carolina high schools

• Movies playing in or near Columbia
• Tickets to local concerts, sporting events & theaters
• YouTube videos about Columbia

• Air pollution in Richland County
• Diesel soot in Richland County
• Land contamination in Richland County
• Nature Conservancy projects in South Carolina
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Richland County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in South Carolina

Columbia festival dates:

• South Carolina State Fair - Oct. 10-21, 2007
• Rosewood Crawfish Festival - May 5, 2007
• International Festival - March 31-April 1, 2007
• South Carolina Book Festival - Feb. 23-25, 2007
• South Carolina Pride Festival - Sept. 22, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Columbia festival web sites:

• Rosewood Crawfish Festival
• South Carolina Book Festival
• South Carolina State Fair

• ePodunk festival listings
• South Carolina county fairs
• South Carolina festivals (South Carolina tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Columbia

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Columbia
• Geocaches in South Carolina

• Columbia items now on sale

• Columbia local government Web site
• Richland County government
• Central Midlands Council of Governments
• South Carolina state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Columbia medical services & health statistics

• Local historical society
• Local historical societies in South Carolina
• State historical society

Historic districts in Columbia include Benedict College Historic District, Columbia Historic District I, Columbia Historic District II, Elmwood Park Historic District, Old Campus District, University of South Carolina, Waverly Historic District, West Gervais Street Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Columbia
• Historic sites in South Carolina
• Museums in or near Columbia
• Museums in South Carolina
• South Carolina state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Richland County genealogy forum

Median rent in Columbia, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $438.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $957.

• Research Columbia Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Columbia
• Homes for sale in Columbia
• Find a Columbia Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check South Carolina mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Help wanted ads - newspapers
• Job services in South Carolina
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Columbia include Irmo Branch Library, John Hughes Cooper Branch Library, North Main Branch Library, Northeast Regional Library, Richland County Public Library, Saint Andrews Regional Library, Sandhill Branch Library, South Carolina State Library, South Caroliniana Library, Southeast Regional Library ... View libraries

• South Carolina library

• Get directions from Columbia
• Get directions to Columbia
• Census map of Columbia area
• Historic maps of SC cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of South Carolina
• Topographic map of Columbia

Newspapers in Columbia include Columbia Star, Columbia State

TV stations in Columbia include WACH, WIS, WLTX, WOLO, WRLK.

National Public Radio programming is carried locally by WLTR.

• Daily newspapers in or near Columbia
• AM radio stations in or near Columbia
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Columbia
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Columbia
• TV stations in or near Columbia
• Media ownership in the Columbia area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in South Carolina

• Military bases in South Carolina
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Columbia
• Search obituaries in South Carolina
• Recent death notices - selected SC newspapers

• Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in South Carolina
• Lions clubs in South Carolina
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Columbia
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Columbia

• Parks near Columbia
• National forests in South Carolina
• State parks in South Carolina

• craigslist
• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Columbia

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Columbia
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of South Carolina communities
• Photos of South Carolina places
• Post cards of South Carolina communities

Richland County supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Columbia political report.

• Richland County Republican party
• South Carolina Democratic party
• South Carolina Republican party
• South Carolina elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Columbia
• Total membership by faith, in Richland County

• Chowhound message boards for SC

The average commute time for Columbia workers is 18 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 12 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Columbia between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 1.0 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Columbia travel guide
• Airports near Columbia
• Amtrak station in Columbia
• Hotels near Columbia
• South Carolina tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• South Carolina coastal water temperatures
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in South Carolina
• Wildlife refuges in South Carolina

Browse list of South Carolina community profiles