MetricCayce, SCColumbia, SC
Population13,741139,643
Median Household Income$62,045$55,529
Median Rent$1,360/mo$1,204/mo
Median Home Value$166,800$264,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9494
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income45.3%55.3%
Poverty Rate13.7%24%
Unemployment Rate3.8% (county)4.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k558791
Property Crime Rate /100k2,5853,156
Median AQI—47
Good AQI Days /yr—212
Summer Highs94°F91°F
Winter Lows38°F35°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute19.6 min17.7 min
Hospitals—6
Avg Hospital Rating—3.8 / 5
Students per Teacher14.512.5
College Degree Rate31.1%45.9%
Foreign-Born %5.9%5.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-0.8%+7.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.