Columbia, SC vs St. Andrews, SC

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricColumbia, SCSt. Andrews, SC
Population139,64319,868
Median Household Income$55,529$46,511
Median Rent$1,204/mo$1,088/mo
Median Home Value$264,300$161,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9494
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income55.3%59.5%
Poverty Rate24%25.4%
Unemployment Rate4.9%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k791456*
Property Crime Rate /100k3,1561,797*
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr212212
Summer Highs91°F94°F
Winter Lows35°F38°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute17.7 min21.8 min
Hospitals6—
Avg Hospital Rating3.8 / 5—
Students per Teacher12.514.3
College Degree Rate45.9%25.7%
Foreign-Born %5.8%7.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+7.5%-0.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices St. Andrews (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.