Why Columbia is the best city in South Carolina

Excuse us while we rep a little pride in place. 💪

September 23, 2022 • 
Samantha Robertson, Alexandra Garian
Gervais Street Bridge

The view of the Gervais Street Bridge while walking on the West Columbia Riverwalk.

Photo by COLAtoday team

Today, we’re pitching an answer to the age-old, largely contested question — what is the best city in South Carolina, and why? (Spoiler alert: It’s Columbia.)

Editor Sam here — if you know me, you know that I’ve vouched for Columbia for years as the most underrated and best city in the state. I’m looking at you, my Clemson + College of Charleston-grad besties.

To show that I’m objective, I’ll start with some of the good things that other South Carolina cities offer:

  • Charleston | Arguably one of the most picturesque cities in the nation. Enter: The Battery, Rainbow Row, and Waterfront Park. Don’t forget about the beaches — Oh, and don’t get us started on the food scene.
  • Greenville | One of the more trendy + eclectic cities in SC, featuring murals, galleries, festivals, and landmarks like Falls Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Bonus points for this city — it’s also home to our parent company, 6AM City.
  • Beaufort | Lots of history + scenic, coastal views with trails, parks, and nearby beaches. Ya know, relaxing marsh-y vibes

See? Totally impartial + willing to say that these cities are great — just not as great as ours. Now to Columbia. You just can’t argue with facts.

  • Our three rivers — the Broad + Saluda Rivers seamlessly pour into the beautiful Congaree River. Oh, and we didn’t even mention all of our riverwalks.
  • It’s centrally located — traveling to Greenville, Charleston, and Charlotte will take you about two hours, making us (in our opinion) the most day-trip-friendly SC city.
  • We’re a college town — traditions and city pride runs deep here. Oh, and UofSC ranked No. 1 for best first-year experience + international business school in the nation. If you’re a freshman in Cola, welcome! Check out a guide we made just for you.
  • According to WalletHub, Columbia ranked No. 10 for being one of the best cities to start a career.

But if you’re ever in the Greenville or Charleston areas and need the 4-1-1 on what’s going on in those cities, check out our friends Danielle and Kyle at GVLtoday + Lexa and Tatum at CHStoday. They’re pretty great.

Note: This article is meant to be fun + lighthearted. We love all of the other cities in this state and know that each one has its own unique reasons for being wonderful.