Columbia vs Mount Pleasant
Columbia, South Carolina versus Mount Pleasant, 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 Mount Pleasant score about the same overall (49 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Columbia | Mount Pleasant |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $54k | $115k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $62k |
| Home Value | $226k | $609k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.69% | 0.35% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.74% | 10.75% |
| Unemployment | 7.9% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.7 in | 52.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 241 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 114 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 55.4 | 89.2 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.9 | 78.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1365/100k | 723/100k |
| Property Crime | 2858/100k | 1428/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 136,754 | 90,945 |
| Median Age | 28.3 | 42.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.58 | 0.16 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+39 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 47.9% | 90.3% |
| Black (%) | 40.2% | 3.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.2% | 2.3% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 1.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 2.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 9.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 81 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.9% | 82.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 12.21 | 18.69 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
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 Mount Pleasant more affordable?
- Columbia has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Columbia's $50k and Mount Pleasant's $62k. Median rent is $1k in Columbia versus $2k in Mount Pleasant.
- Is Columbia or Mount Pleasant safer?
- Mount Pleasant has the lower violent crime rate. Columbia reports 1365/100k and Mount Pleasant reports 723/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Columbia or Mount Pleasant?
- The median home value is $226k in Columbia and $609k in Mount Pleasant, so homes are more affordable in Columbia.