Demographics · SC
Columbia, SC demographics: 139,643 residents, with a median age of 28.6 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
139,643people are estimated in Columbia, at a median age of 28.6 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024 period estimate)
Median age 28.6 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Columbia, the largest race group is White (46.9%); 6.2% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 5.8% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The estimated median age in Columbia is 28.6 years (±0.6), compared with the U.S. estimate of 38.9 ± 0.1 years. These are descriptive comparisons, not significance tests. The population is 49.2% ± 0.9 percentage points male and 50.8% ± 0.9 percentage points female. The largest age band is 18 to 24 at 26.0%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7,412 | 5.3% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±727 |
| 5 to 17 | 16,370 | 11.7% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±1,123 |
| 18 to 24 | 36,252 | 26.0% ± 1.3 percentage points | ±1,817 |
| 25 to 34 | 23,802 | 17.0% ± 0.9 percentage points | ±1,219 |
| 35 to 44 | 15,994 | 11.5% ± 0.7 percentage points | ±1,015 |
| 45 to 54 | 12,247 | 8.8% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±890 |
| 55 to 64 | 11,483 | 8.2% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±840 |
| 65 to 74 | 9,745 | 7.0% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±716 |
| 75 and over | 6,338 | 4.5% ± 0.4 percentage points | ±495 |
Median age by sex: 28.0 (male) · 29.3 (female).
Shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Columbia is White at 46.9% of the population. Separately, 6.2% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race.Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 65,549 | 46.9% ± 1.5 percentage points | ±2,057 |
| Black or African American alone | 56,714 | 40.6% ± 1.7 percentage points | ±2,401 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 262 | 0.2% ± 0.1 percentage points | ±113 |
| Asian alone | 4,545 | 3.3% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±843 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 326 | 0.2% ± 0.2 percentage points | ±279 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 2,950 | 2.1% ± 0.5 percentage points | ±657 |
| Two or more races | 9,297 | 6.7% ± 0.9 percentage points | ±1,226 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 8,651 | 6.2% ± 0.7 percentage points | ±991 |
Race shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding; race and Hispanic origin are separate questions and are not additive. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Columbia has 53,076 households. 46.9% are family households and 39.5% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.16 people.
Total households
53,076
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.16
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.05
Family households
46.9% ± 1.1 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
39.5% ± 2.5 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 53,076 | ±1,243 |
| Family households | 24,882 | ±826 |
| Nonfamily households | 28,194 | ±1,418 |
| Householder living alone | 20,942 | ±1,412 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
5.8% of Columbia residents were born outside the United States. 91.3% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (4.1%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 5.8% ± 0.7 percentage points | 8,076 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 91.3% ± 0.7 percentage points | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 4.1% ± 0.5 percentage points | Spanish · 5,363 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
45.9% ± 1.9 percentage points of adults age 25 and over in Columbia hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The U.S. estimate is 35.7%.
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 45.9% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Columbia is 4516000. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.