Lexington County · South Carolina · South · 18k residents
West Columbia, SC: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on West Columbia: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the South Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,119/wk. South Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 5%. Commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh.
Compare West Columbia side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,119/wk
Corporate income tax
5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
40.9%
Commercial electricity
10.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast West Columbia's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
82/100
Heating
Ranks West Columbia's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $201,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 0.55% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,175/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,115/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.39% |
| Sales tax | 7.5% |
| Corporate income tax | 5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,119/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.9% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 28.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $123,380 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $81,920 |
| Wage: General manager | $103,950 |
| Wage: Customer service | $37,430 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,180 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $51,280 |
| Wage: Electrician | $60,390 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $29,540 |
| Cost of living index | 82 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $850/mo |
| Median household income | $56,912 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% |
| Population | 18k |
| Crime index | 65/100 |
| School rating | 5.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 91/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 220 days |
| July high | 93°F |
| January low | 35°F |
| Annual snowfall | 1 in |
| Home price YoY | +0.4% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +4.9% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.1% |
| Building permits YoY | +100.0% |
| Ocean coast | 111 mi |
| Big lake | 13 mi |
| Mountains | 139 mi |
| Major airport | 84 mi |
| Ski resort | 154 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Columbia, SC · 140k
- St. Andrews, SC · 20k
- Seven Oaks, SC · 16k
- Lexington, SC · 25k
- Dentsville, SC · 15k
Similar size
- Clemson, SC · 18k
- Five Forks, SC · 19k
- Berea, SC · 17k
- Ladson, SC · 16k
- North Myrtle Beach, SC · 20k
Real listings in West Columbia
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is West Columbia a good place to run a business?
- South Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,119/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in West Columbia, SC?
- West Columbia indexes at 82 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,115/mo and a acs median home value of $201,700.
- How much does a house cost in West Columbia?
- The acs median home value in West Columbia is $201,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in West Columbia?
- A two-bedroom in West Columbia rents for about $1,115/mo.