2025 Compare Cities People:
Columbia, SC vs Raleigh, NC

Change Cities
Highlights
- Raleigh is 0% more densely populated than Columbia.
- People are 31.7% more likely to be married in Raleigh.
- The Median Age is 6.0 years older in Raleigh.
 Columbia, SCRaleigh, NCUnited States
 Population  Unlock462,219329,725,481
 Female Population50.0%  Unlock50.5%
 Male Population50.0%  Unlock49.5%
 Median Age  Unlock34.238.4
 space3
 Population - 2010130,909  Unlock309,327,143
 Population - 2000  Unlock276,093285,036,114
 Population - 199098,052  Unlock251,960,433
 Pop. 2000 to Now  Unlock71.8%15.6%
 Pop. 1990 to Now34.8%  Unlock30.8%
 space4
 Population Density  Unlock3,181.793.4
 Land Area136.0  Unlock3,531,905.4
 Water Area  Unlock1.1264,836.8
 space
 Est. Total Population By Age
 Columbia, SCRaleigh, NCUnited States
 Age 0 to 45.3%  Unlock5.9%
 Age 5 to 9  Unlock5.5%6.1%
 Age 10 to 144.8%  Unlock6.6%
 Age 15 to 17  Unlock3.5%3.9%
 Age 18 to 2014.6%  Unlock4.0%
 Age 21 to 24  Unlock6.7%5.2%
 Age 25 to 3417.0%  Unlock13.8%
 Age 35 to 44  Unlock14.5%12.9%
 Age 45 to 5410.0%  Unlock12.6%
 Age 55 to 59  Unlock5.7%6.7%
 Age 60 to 644.1%  Unlock6.3%
 Age 65 to 74  Unlock6.6%9.6%
 Age 75 to 842.9%  Unlock4.5%
 Age 85 and over  Unlock1.2%1.9%
 space1
 Race
 Columbia, SCRaleigh, NCUnited States
 White48.0%  Unlock59.4%
 Black  Unlock27.9%12.2%
 Asian2.6%  Unlock5.6%
 Native American  Unlock0.2%0.6%
 Hawaiian, Pacific Islander0.2%  Unlock0.2%
 Other  Unlock0.4%0.4%
 Two or More Races2.8%  Unlock3.2%
 Hispanic  Unlock11.3%18.4%
 space2
 Marriage & Family
 Columbia, SCRaleigh, NCUnited States
 Married Population31.9%  Unlock49.8%
     Currently Married  Unlock40.0%48.0%
 Married but Separated2.3%  Unlock1.8%
 Single Population  Unlock57.9%50.2%
 Never Married55.7%  Unlock33.8%
 Divorced  Unlock11.0%10.8%
 Widowed4.0%  Unlock5.6%
 space5
 Household Size  Unlock2.372.60
 Households50,372  Unlock124,010,992
 Family Households  Unlock101,51780,755,759
     Married couple, w/children25.6%  Unlock30.5%
     Married couple, no children  Unlock38.6%42.9%
 Non Family Households26,096  Unlock43,255,233
     Single householder, w/children  Unlock19.0%15.8%
     Single householder, no children11.8%  Unlock10.8%
Reviews for Columbia    50 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

I love living in Columbia! I recently graduated from USC and plan to stay. I read the reviews posted here and it shows that like many cities, your experience will depend  More

   |    Reply

Loved living in Columbia, SC prior to my job transfer. It's the perfect size - plenty to do, but still a laid back place. People are extremely friendly, there are  More

   |    Reply

Columbia is such a unique and underrated place. It has a lot of character and history, and good nature trails. Everything feels accessible (by car) and you can get from  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Columbia

Reviews for Raleigh    224 Reviews

I moved to Raleigh in 2018. Before that, I lived in Orange County CA, Boulder CO, South Africa, Northern California, Arizona, and Toronto. I say all this to give  More

   |    Reply

Excellent for a great many people or categories of people. As far as prices: ratio of wage and job opportunity here with housing remains one of the better ones in the  More

   |    Reply

Over 2 years ago

I attended university here in the early 90s and came back around 2005 and never left. I'm surprised at the other negative reviews honestly. Yes, housing is pricey in  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Raleigh


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.