Rent prices are on the rise — but how much does it actually cost to rent in the Capital City right now?
We pulled the latest numbers to break down what it takes to rent in the Columbia metro area, from average prices to how many hours you’d need to work to make it happen.
$1,434. The average rent for a ~1,000-sqft apartment in Columbia, as of June 2025.
$1,298. The Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Columbia metro area, according to HUD.
$24.08/hour. That’s the hourly wage a full-time worker in SC needs to earn to afford a two-bedroom rental without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
2.4 jobs. That’s how many full-time minimum wage jobs ($7.25/hour) it would take to afford the average two-bedroom rent in Columbia.
53%. The percentage of Columbia’s population currently renting. Out of 50,088 households in the city, ~27,000 are renter-occupied.
29th. That’s where SC ranks as the most expensive state for renters in the country.
For more city data, state data, and to compare with other metropolitan areas, check out the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach report.
