Columbia vs Fort Mill
Columbia, South Carolina versus Fort Mill, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Columbia and Fort Mill score about the same overall (49 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Columbia | Fort Mill |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $54k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $61k |
| Home Value | $226k | $415k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.69% | 0.79% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.74% | 11.44% |
| Unemployment | 7.9% | 2.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.7 in | 45.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 187 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 78 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 55.4 | 69.8 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.9 | 50.1 |
| Violent Crime | 1365/100k | 506/100k |
| Property Crime | 2858/100k | 741/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 136,754 | 26,022 |
| Median Age | 28.3 | 36.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.36 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+39 | R+17 |
| White (%) | 47.9% | 76.6% |
| Black (%) | 40.2% | 11.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.2% | 5.7% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 7.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 81 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.9% | 95.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 12.21 | 49.96 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Columbia or Fort Mill more affordable?
- Columbia has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Columbia's $50k and Fort Mill's $61k. Median rent is $1k in Columbia versus $1k in Fort Mill.
- Is Columbia or Fort Mill safer?
- Fort Mill has the lower violent crime rate. Columbia reports 1365/100k and Fort Mill reports 506/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Columbia or Fort Mill?
- The median home value is $226k in Columbia and $415k in Fort Mill, so homes are more affordable in Columbia.