Columbia vs Portsmouth
The short version
- Columbia is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Portsmouth area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $246,900 in Portsmouth and $264,300 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Portsmouth ($60,491 vs $55,529 median).
- Columbia has the warmer winter: January highs of 57°F vs 50°F.
- Columbia has more scorching days: 81 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 42.
- Columbia is growing faster: +7.5% since 2020 vs -1.2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (18 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Columbia, SC | Portsmouth, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 147,035 | 96,777 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.5% | -1.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,062 | 2,906 |
| Median age | 28.6 | 35.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $55,529 | $60,491 |
| Median home value | $264,300 | $246,900 |
| Home value to income | 4.8× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,204 | $1,300 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.7 | 97.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 79.5 | 99.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,200 | $73,500 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 6% | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.49% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.7 | 23.7 |
| Work from home | 12% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Poverty rate | 24% | 17.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 35° | 50° / 34° |
| July high / low | 93° / 72° | 89° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 45 in | 46 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 81 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 46 | 32 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.1 | 54.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 58% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.6% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +51.6% | +43.4% |
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: Columbia: March to May and September to October. Portsmouth: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Columbia weather by month and Portsmouth weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,200 in Columbia and $73,500 in Portsmouth. Moving from Columbia to Portsmouth, you would need about $78,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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