Population & age
- Total population
- 2,281
- Median age
- 18.9
Columbia, SC (29208)
Richland County · Columbia, SC · Population 2,281
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Columbia, SC (ZIP 29208) sits in Richland County within the Columbia metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 10.8%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $17,793. FDIC counts just 1 bank branch in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. The CDC SVI flags housing & transportation (82th percentile) as this ZIP's standout vulnerability dimension, sitting well above its overall 40th-percentile score. FEMA has issued 26 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 46.5% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Lexington County, SC (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,720 for a two-bedroom. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 80.5%
- Black
- 12.8%
- Asian
- 3.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 4.8%
- Other / multi-racial
- 3.5%
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 11.8%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 21.6%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 0
- Renter-occupied
- 0
- Vacant units
- 0
Commute
- Public transit
- 15(3.2%)
- Work from home
- 12(2.6%)
- Avg commute
- 11.7 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 0
- Uninsured
- 53(2.3%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 0
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 107(4.7%)
- Non-English at home
- 165(7.2%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,390
/month
1 Bed
$1,570
/month
2 Bed
$1,720
/month
3 Bed
$2,190
/month
4 Bed
$2,580
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
3,469
Across 2,258 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $624.5M.
Single-family
2,154
62% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
1,315
38% of total units
Single-family value
$436.0M
construction value
Multifamily value
$188.5M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
22
Total employment
468
Annual payroll
$19.2M
Average annual pay
$41,038
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$62,784
Average weekly wage
$1,207
Total employment
227,771
Total establishments
12,736
That is roughly 4% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
4.3%
That is 0.3 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
208,207
Employed
199,189
Unemployed
9,018
Based on Richland County, SC data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Banking access
FDIC-insured bank branches
1
Limited banking access
Only a handful of branches — residents may rely on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services.
Total deposits
$0.0
across all branches in this ZIP
Distinct institutions
1
different banks operating here
Top banks by deposits in this ZIP
- 1.Wells Fargo Bank, National Association— · 1 branch
Based on FDIC-insured branch offices as of June 30, 2024.
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits (fdic.gov). Annual June-30 snapshot of every FDIC-insured branch and the deposits booked there. Figures cover all institutions reporting a branch address in this ZIP.
Public transit
FTA tracks transit service at the urbanized-area level. Numbers below reflect the agencies and modes serving the area that contains this ZIP, not stop-level coverage.
Service status
Available
Columbia, SC
Reporting agencies
1
Largest: Central Midlands Regional Transportation Authority
Annual ridership
—
unlinked trips · 2024
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (transit.dot.gov). Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
26
Date Range
1977–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 23, 2026 (DR-3632)
Incident period: January 21, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane15 (58%)
- Tropical Storm2 (8%)
- Biological2 (8%)
- Severe Storm2 (8%)
- Severe Ice Storm2 (8%)
- Other3 (12%)
Individual Assistance
2
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
4
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
25
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
9
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
66.5°F
54.4° – 78.7°
Annual precipitation
48.1"
Annual snowfall
0.2"
Heating · cooling days
2,015.7 · 2,594.6
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC, SC US, 0.4 miles from the centroid of Columbia, SC (ZIP 29208)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
47
GoodGood 210dModerate 155dUSG 1d
Peak AQI (2024)
141
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Primary pollutant
PM2.5
263 days as main pollutant
Days measured
366
Based on Richland County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
9,521
That is roughly 1,321 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
17%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
3.9
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.3
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
9.6%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
82
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,044
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.2
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
74%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
52%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 11.2% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Richland data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Limited food access for many residents
46.5% of Richland County, SC residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.12
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.02
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.85
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.79
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 17.0% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Richland County, SC for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 1,468 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 5,086 reports
Homicide
27
Robbery
140
Burglary
837
Vehicle theft
863
County-level data for Richland (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+1,743 people
+591 households • +$30.7M net AGI flow
Moved in
17,485households
31,486 people • $1.0B AGI
Moved out
16,894households
29,743 people • $993.5M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Lexington County, SC — 2,753 households
- Kershaw County, SC — 440 households
- Mecklenburg County, NC — 402 households
- Sumter County, SC — 315 households
- Charleston County, SC — 287 households
Where departing residents went
- Lexington County, SC — 3,183 households
- Kershaw County, SC — 715 households
- Mecklenburg County, NC — 486 households
- Greenville County, SC — 328 households
- Charleston County, SC — 312 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $58,577 versus departing households' $58,807.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in South Carolina
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 29208. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
6.20%
graduated · 2 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
7.49%
State 6.00% · avg local 1.49%
Property tax (effective)
0.50%
Median $1,602/year
Tax burden rank
13 of 50
9.20% of personal income
Paid family leave
Program
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
130% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 29208
Other ZIPs in Columbia
Nearby ZIPs by distance
29225 (Columbia, 0.2 mi) · 29201 (Columbia, 1 mi) · 29205 (Columbia, 1.8 mi) · 29204 (Columbia, 2.7 mi) · 29033 (Cayce, 3.5 mi) · 29169 (West Columbia, 4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
22.8%
10.2pp below the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
10.8%
21.2pp below the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
35.3%
13.3pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
71.5%
4.5pp below the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
10.0%
3.0pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
1.6%
9.4pp below the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
10
Median in-state tuition
$17,793
Median earnings (10 yr)
$33,162
- 4-Year
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29208
- In-state tuition
- $12,688
- Out-of-state tuition
- $35,972
- Acceptance rate
- 60.2%
- Graduation rate
- 78.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $62,177
- Median student debt
- $21,500
- 4-Year
Benedict College
Columbia, SC · 29204
- In-state tuition
- $17,440
- Out-of-state tuition
- $17,440
- Acceptance rate
- 95.7%
- Graduation rate
- 22.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $31,902
- Median student debt
- $32,500
- 4-Year
Columbia College
Columbia, SC · 29203
- In-state tuition
- $22,214
- Out-of-state tuition
- $22,214
- Acceptance rate
- 93.9%
- Graduation rate
- 45.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $41,338
- Median student debt
- $22,750
- 4-Year
Columbia International University
Columbia, SC · 29203
- In-state tuition
- $27,900
- Out-of-state tuition
- $27,900
- Acceptance rate
- 94.5%
- Graduation rate
- 55.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $38,951
- Median student debt
- $20,000
- 2-Year
Fortis College-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29210
- In-state tuition
- $14,777
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,777
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 39.2%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $36,368
- Median student debt
- $12,547
- 4-Year
Allen University
Columbia, SC · 29204
- In-state tuition
- $14,304
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,304
- Acceptance rate
- 72.5%
- Graduation rate
- 13.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $30,497
- Median student debt
- $34,290
- 4-Year
South University-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29203
- In-state tuition
- $18,145
- Out-of-state tuition
- $18,145
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 12.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $34,421
- Median student debt
- $26,123
- 2-Year
Southeastern College-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29223
- In-state tuition
- $25,080
- Out-of-state tuition
- $25,080
- Acceptance rate
- 97.3%
- Graduation rate
- 58.2%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $31,156
- Median student debt
- $9,500
- Certificate
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29210
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 44.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $25,088
- Median student debt
- $5,858
- Certificate
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Columbia
Columbia, SC · 29209
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 71.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $25,088
- Median student debt
- $5,858
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Columbia, SC (ZIP 29208) sits in Richland County within the Columbia metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in below the national average at 10.8%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $17,793. FDIC counts just 1 bank branch in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. The CDC SVI flags housing & transportation (82th percentile) as this ZIP's standout vulnerability dimension, sitting well above its overall 40th-percentile score. FEMA has issued 26 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Per USDA's Food Environment Atlas, 46.5% of residents in this county live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket — a deep food-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Lexington County, SC (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,720 for a two-bedroom. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 35.3%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 29208
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 29208?
22.8%, which is 10.2 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 29208?
35.3%, which is 13.3 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 29208?
10.8%, which is 21.2 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 29208?
2,281 people live in ZIP 29208, with a median age of 18.9 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 29208?
In ZIP 29208, 2.6% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 3.2% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 29208?
As of 2022, 22 business establishments operated in ZIP 29208 employing 468 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 29208?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 29208 is $41,038, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 29208 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 29208 ranks in the 40th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 29208?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 29208, ranking in the 82th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 29208 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 26 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 29208 between 1977–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 29208?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 29208, accounting for 15 of 26 declarations (58%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 29208?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 29208 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3632) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 29208?
10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 29208 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including University Of South Carolina-Columbia, Benedict College, and Columbia College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 29208?
Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $17,793 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 29208?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $33,162 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 29208?
ZIP 29208 has an average annual temperature of 66.5°F and 48.1" of annual precipitation based on the COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC, SC US weather station 0.4 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 29208 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 29208 is part of the Columbia, SC urbanized area, primarily served by Central Midlands Regional Transportation Authority (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 29208?
South Carolina has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 6.20%. Combined sales tax: 7.49% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does South Carolina have paid family leave?
South Carolina runs an active paid family leave program offering up to — weeks of paid leave per year (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 29208?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (26 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), public transit coverage from the National Transit Database (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (26 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). Transit coverage retrieved May 4, 2026 from the National Transit Database (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 29208
Other ZIPs in Columbia
Nearby ZIPs by distance
29225 (Columbia, 0.2 mi) · 29201 (Columbia, 1 mi) · 29205 (Columbia, 1.8 mi) · 29204 (Columbia, 2.7 mi) · 29033 (Cayce, 3.5 mi) · 29169 (West Columbia, 4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 29208?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
40th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 2 census tracts, population 863
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
34
Limited English Speakers
4
Persons with Disability
60
Without HS Diploma
1
Without Health Insurance
27
Adults Age 65+
58
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.