Athens vs Columbia
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $264,300 in Columbia and $299,200 in Athens.
- Columbia is growing faster: +7.5% since 2020 vs +1%.
Side by side
| Athens, GA | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 128,612 | 147,035 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +7.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,105 | 1,062 |
| Median age | 29.4 | 28.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 46% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $52,974 | $55,529 |
| Median home value | $299,200 | $264,300 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 4.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,219 | $1,204 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.3 | 93.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 76.8 | 79.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,000 | $70,200 |
| Homeowners | 41% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 6% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.49% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.6 | 17.7 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.3% | 7.5% |
| Poverty rate | 26.5% | 24% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 55° / 34° | 57° / 35° |
| July high / low | 92° / 70° | 93° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 49 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 62 | 81 |
| Nights below freezing | 46 | 46 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 67.0 | 93.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 58% |
| Home prices, past year | +1% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +54.8% | +51.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Athens: March to May and September to October. Columbia: March to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Athens weather by month and Columbia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,000 in Athens and $70,200 in Columbia. Moving from Athens to Columbia, you would need about $75,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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