Columbia, SC
| U.S. News Ratings | |
| Population: | 113,598 |
| Crime: | High |
| Cost of Living: | Low |
| Health Care: | Comprehensive |
| Housing Price: | Average |
| Income: | Low |
Situated in the heart of the Palmetto State, Columbia prides itself on its rich history, thriving cultural scene, and Southern hospitality. Residents enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine each year. Fall, winter, and spring temperatures are mild; summers are quite hot. The weather, combined with access to several rivers and a national park, makes Columbia a prime destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Columbia is steeped in history. Because of its central location, the city was chosen to replace Charleston as South Carolina's capital in 1786. The state's first planned city, Columbia was laid out as a 400-block town within a 2-mile square bordering the Congaree River. Today, the city occupies 125 square miles and has a population of 114,000. During the Civil War, when Columbia was a Confederate stronghold, roughly a third of the city, including the commercial and governmental districts, was destroyed by fire. The city later became a major trading hub and textile manufacturing center.
A walk down Columbia's extra-wide streets (designed to span 100 to 150 feet, based on a mistaken belief that mosquitoes couldn't fly more than 60 feet without dying of starvation) provides a glimpse into the past. The city's antebellum architecture is well preserved in its historic districts. Sites of interest include Woodrow Wilson's former home and the South Carolina Governor's Mansion. Columbia is also a cultural hub that boasts a number of museums and independent theaters, the Columbia City Ballet, and the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. The city recently concluded several downtown revitalization projects, and more are planned, including a downtown garden district and a research campus at the University of South Carolina.
Columbia, located where the Saluda and Broad rivers join to form the Congaree, attracts plenty of outdoorsy types. Kayakers and canoeists can cruise down the rivers, and those seeking an escape from the city can venture into nearby Congaree National Park, where they'll find an old-growth forest containing some of the tallest trees in the eastern United States. Residents can also catch festivals and outdoor concerts at 18-acre Finlay Park or fish, canoe, and explore nature trails along the Congaree in 24-acre Granby Park.
Columbia residents can cheer the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks. (A can't-miss is USC's annual football game against rival Clemson University.)
The main campus of the University of South Carolina is in downtown Columbia. The city also is home to Allen University, Benedict College, Columbia College, Columbia International University, and Midlands Technical College.
More than 20 hospitals and roughly 30 nursing and residential-care facilities are located in or near Columbia. Providence Hospitals, part of the Sisters of Charity Health System, includes Providence Hospital, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast, and Providence Orthopaedic and NeuroSpine Institute. Palmetto Health operates several hospitals in the city, including Palmetto Health Baptist, Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, Palmetto Health Cancer Centers, and Palmetto Health Heart Hospital, South Carolina's first free-standing hospital dedicated solely to heart care.
Columbia has come a long way from the days when its economy was heavily based on cotton. Manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare are important parts of the city's economy. Major employers include the South Carolina state government, the University of South Carolina, Palmetto Health Hospital System, United Parcel Service, and the Fort Jackson Army base.
Housing in Columbia is relatively affordable. The median home sale price in 2008 was $147,288, up 3 percent from 2007.
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