Average Rent in Columbia SC
10 apartment buildings, 102 units. Real asking prices, refreshed daily.
Avg Rent
$1,572/mo
Cheapest
$750/mo
Properties
10
Units
102
Analysis
Rent Price Breakdown
Compare pricing across all 10 properties in Columbia SC.
Average Rent by Property
Starting Price vs Average
Rent by Bedroom Count
Price per Square Foot
Columbia SC Rent Prices
All 10 properties ranked by lowest available rent.
Fowler Real Estate
721 King St, Columbia, SC 29205, USA
Wolfe & Taylor, Inc.
1216 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Hampton Greene Apartment Homes
500 Gills Creek Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
VERVE Columbia
1215 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Brookland and 4 West
127 State St, West Columbia, SC 29169, USA
Bennet at BullStreet
2180 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Broad River Trace
551 Riverhill Cir, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
| # | Property | From | Avg | $/sqft | Rating | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fowler Real Estate 721 King St, Columbia, SC 29205, USA | $750 | $1,636 | $1.23 | 3.7 | 7 |
| 2 | Wolfe & Taylor, Inc. 1216 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA | $1,075 | $1,451 | $1.28 | 3.6 | 14 |
| 3 | Hampton Greene Apartment Homes 500 Gills Creek Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29209, USA | $1,080 | $1,257 | $1.54 | 3.5 | 38 |
| 4 | VERVE Columbia 1215 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA | $1,200 | $1,554 | $4.64 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Brookland and 4 West 127 State St, West Columbia, SC 29169, USA | $1,570 | $1,883 | $2.20 | 4.2 | 29 |
| 6 | Bennet at BullStreet 2180 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA | $1,624 | $2,055 | $2.85 | 4.5 | 9 |
| 7 | Broad River Trace 551 Riverhill Cir, Columbia, SC 29210, USA | -- | -- | -- | 4.4 | 0 |
Explore Each Property
Fowler Real Estate
3.7721 King St, Columbia, SC 29205, USA
Wolfe & Taylor, Inc.
3.61216 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Hampton Greene Apartment Homes
3.5500 Gills Creek Pkwy, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
VERVE Columbia
51215 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Brookland and 4 West
4.2127 State St, West Columbia, SC 29169, USA
Bennet at BullStreet
4.52180 Pickens St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Columbia SC Average Rent Prices 2026
The average rent in Columbia SC is $1,572 per month, based on 102 units across 10 apartment communities. Prices range from $750 at Fowler Real Estate to $1,624 at Bennet at BullStreet.
Average Rent by Bedroom Type
| Type | Avg Rent | Starting From | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,585/mo | $1,100/mo | 8 |
| 1 Bed | $1,475/mo | $750/mo | 47 |
| 2 Bed | $1,602/mo | $850/mo | 37 |
| 3 Bed | $1,884/mo | $1,400/mo | 7 |
| 4 Bed | $1,978/mo | $1,200/mo | 3 |
Every price comes directly from each property's leasing system, updated that morning. Request a neighborhood we don't cover and we add it within 24 hours.
Market Context
Who rents in Columbia SC, and what they pay
Tracked one-bedroom rent in Columbia SC averages $1,475/mo, with two-bedroom units averaging $1,602/mo. At the local median household income of $55,653, that works out to 34% of gross income, above the 30 percent affordability ceiling, a stretched-budget market.
The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 release pegged median gross rent in Columbia SC at $1,158/mo. The current tracked market average runs 36% higher than that benchmark, reflecting both two to three years of rent growth and the fact that the Census figure covers all renter-occupied housing in Columbia SC while the tracked market average covers units currently listed in larger apartment communities.
What salary do I need to live comfortably in Columbia SC?
Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Minimum to afford average rent
$63,000/year
30 percent rule -- using our average rent of $1,572/mo.
Comfortable income
$75,000/year
25 percent rule -- leaves more room for savings, transport, and groceries.
To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($750/mo), you need to earn at least $30,000/year.
Median household income in Columbia SC is $55,653 , about 26% below the comfortable-living threshold.
Cost of living in Columbia SC
Overall prices in Columbia SC runs below the national average by about 7% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 93.2, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Columbia SC's regional price parities.
| Category | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|
| Rent (market average) | $1,572 |
| Utilities | $337 |
| Groceries | $518 |
| Transportation | $804 |
| Healthcare | $392 |
| Other goods and services | $628 |
| Estimated total | $4,251/mo |
Population
138,019
Median household income
$55,653
Census median rent
$1,158/mo
Rent as % of income
34.5%
Median age
28.7
Mean commute
17 min
Methodology
Rent data
Sourced directly from each tracked apartment community and refreshed every 24 hours. Every listed unit price on this page is real and listed today.
Cost of living
Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.
Salary to live comfortably
Applies the standard 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income rule on top of the listed rent. This is the same affordability guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.
Demographic figures
Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.
Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
Compare
Nearby cities in South Carolina
How Columbia SC rent compares to other markets in the state.
| City | Avg Rent | vs Columbia SC | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | $2,509 | +60% | 16 |
| North Charleston, SC | $1,916 | +22% | 14 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average rent in Columbia SC?
The average rent in Columbia SC is $1,572 per month, based on 102 units across 10 apartment buildings tracked by Average Rent. Prices are updated every morning through our proprietary data sourcing.
What is the cheapest apartment rent in Columbia SC?
The lowest available rent in Columbia SC starts at $750 per month. Availability changes daily as leasing data is refreshed each morning.
How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in Columbia SC?
1-bedroom apartments in Columbia SC average $1,475/mo. The lowest listed 1-bedroom starts at $750/mo across 47 units tracked.
How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Columbia SC?
2-bedroom apartments in Columbia SC average $1,602/mo. Units start from $850/mo across 37 units currently listed.
Rent Trends in Columbia SC
Track how apartment prices are changing over time.
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