Columbia is the state capital of South Carolina and home to roughly 140,000 people within city limits. The city sits in the geographic center of the state at the junction of the Broad and Saluda rivers, which form the Congaree River. About half of all housing units in Columbia are renter-occupied, which is higher than the national average and reflects the influence of the University of South Carolina downtown and Fort Jackson on the east side, which bring a large student and military population that cycles through rental housing regularly. For homeowners who own rather than rent, the housing stock includes a wide range of building ages and styles - from older bungalows and Craftsman homes in Shandon and Elmwood Park to mid-century brick ranches in Forest Acres and Rosewood to newer vinyl-sided subdivisions in the Irmo and Dutch Fork areas northwest of the city.
Columbia's median home value is around $175,000 to $200,000, which is below the national median, but values have been climbing steadily over the past several years as more people move to the area. The city is a regional employment hub with major employers including the state government, the university, Prisma Health, and Fort Jackson. Many residents have stable, long-term jobs and stay in the area for years, which means homeowners here are willing to invest in keeping their homes in good shape. Homeowners in nearby Myrtle Beach and Conway deal with different climate and moisture challenges, but many of the same older brick ranch home types are common across the South Carolina Midlands and coastal regions.