HomeSouth CarolinaLexington CountyWest Columbia
West Columbia, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
West Columbia is a Census city of 17,963 people across 9.41 square miles of land, in Lexington County. Median household income is $56,912, 55.3 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 58 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $35.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
West Columbia
What West Columbia is
- Census place typecity
- Land area9.41 sq mi
- Water area0.17 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land1,908
- County holding the largest share of its areaLexington County, 100.0 percent
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Columbia
How many people live in West Columbia
- Population17,963
- Median age38.6
- Population under 183,071
- Share under 1817.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,928
- Share 65 and over21.9 percent
- Households8,516
- Family households3,880
- Share of households that are families45.6 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Columbia
Income and work in West Columbia
- Median household income$56,912
- Per capita income$36,920
- Civilian labor force9,208
- Employed8,763
- Unemployed445 plus or minus 183
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent plus or minus 2.0
- Adults 25 and over12,955
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher90.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.0 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Columbia
Housing in West Columbia
- Housing units9,318
- Occupied units8,516
- Vacant units802 plus or minus 231
- Vacancy rate8.6 percent plus or minus 2.4
- Owner occupied4,713
- Renter occupied3,803
- Ownership rate55.3 percent
- Median owner-occupied home value$201,700
- Median gross rent, monthly$1,201
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.3 percent
- Single family units5,934
- Share single family63.7 percent
- Units in buildings of two or more2,903
- Share in buildings of two or more31.2 percent
- Mobile homes481 plus or minus 146
- Median year structure built1976
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Columbia
How West Columbia gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute7,983
- Commuting under 15 minutes2,844
- Share commuting under 15 minutes35.6 percent
- Commuting 30 minutes or more1,510 plus or minus 340
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more18.9 percent plus or minus 4.1
- Drove alone76.2 percent
- Carpooled8.7 percent plus or minus 3.1
- Public transport0.0 percent
- Walked1.2 percent plus or minus 0.9
- Worked from home9.8 percent plus or minus 2.8
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
West Columbia
SBA loans in West Columbia (7(a))
- Approvals58
- Gross approval$34,966,200
- Average approval$602,866
- Median approval$308,100
- Ninetieth percentile approval$1,144,610
- Largest approval$4,500,000
- Jobs supported492
- Jobs per approval8.5
- Loans with a final outcome13
- Paid in full12
- Charged off1
- Median term120 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more20.7 percent
- Share to franchises25.9 percent
- Distinct lenders27
- Distinct industries by NAICS37
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Columbia, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
West Columbia
SBA loans in West Columbia (504)
- Approvals18
- Gross approval$11,288,000
- Average approval$627,111
- Median approval$544,000
- Largest approval$1,684,000
- Jobs supported275
- Loans with a final outcome6
- Charged off0
- Median term240 months
- Distinct CDCs4
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Columbia, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 6 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
West Columbia
Flood risk in West Columbia
- NFIP communityCity of West Columbia
- NFIP community number450140
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classNone
- Currently effective map date07/05/18
The City of West Columbia participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 450140 and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies to it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Lexington County, not West Columbia
Lexington County context, not West Columbia figures
- Establishments in Lexington County7,391
- Covered employment, Lexington County132,596
- Average annual pay, Lexington County$56,005
- Housing units permitted, Lexington County1,758
Every figure in this section is published for Lexington County as a whole and is not a measurement of West Columbia.
All Lexington County figures →
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Common questions
West Columbia questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in West Columbia, South Carolina?
17,963, in 8,516 households. West Columbia city covers 9.41 square miles of land, which is 1,908 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is West Columbia in?
Lexington County, which holds 100.0 percent of the place by area. Source: US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage.
What is the median household income in West Columbia?
$56,912. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,700. Median gross rent is $1,201 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to West Columbia businesses?
58 7(a) approvals totaling $35.0 m since FY2020, across 27 lenders, median approval $308,100, plus 18 504 approvals worth $11.3 m since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in West Columbia, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to West Columbia borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for West Columbia. Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is West Columbia in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. West Columbia appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as West Columbia, city of, community 450140, with no Community Rating System class, so no CRS discount applies. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page West Columbia figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Lexington County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of West Columbia.
Is zoning published for West Columbia?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.