As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, is an area consisting of six counties in central South Carolina, anchored by the city of Columbia. The metropolitan area has an estimated population of 879,918 as of 2025. It is the third-largest metropolitan area in the state of South Carolina, behind the Greenville–Anderson–Greer and Charleston–North Charleston areas. The broader Columbia–Sumter–Orangeburg, SC Combined Statistical Area includes the Columbia and Sumter metropolitan areas, as well as the Newberry and Orangeburg micropolitan areas. The CSA has an estimated population of 1,107,723 as of 2025.
Counties CountySeat2025 estimate2020 CensusChangeAreaDensityRichlandColumbia LexingtonLexington KershawCamden FairfieldWinnsboro SaludaSaluda CalhounSt. Matthews Total
Communities The following are cities and towns categorized based on the United States Census Bureau 2025 population estimates. No population estimates are released for census-designated places (CDPs), which are marked with an asterisk (*). These places are categorized based on their 2020 Census population.
Places with more than 100,000 inhabitants Columbia (147,035)
Places with 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants Lexington (25,729) St. Andrews* (20,675)
Places with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants
West Columbia (18,489) Seven Oaks* (14,652) Dentsville* (14,431) Cayce (13,680) Oak Grove* (12,899) Irmo (12,204) Red Bank* (10,924) Forest Acres (10,390)
Places with 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants
Lugoff* (9,900) Camden (9,201) Woodfield* (9,199) White Knoll* (7,858) Blythewood (7,233) Batesburg-Leesville (5,346)
Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants
Capitol View* (4,653) Winnsboro (3,305) East Camden* (3,215) Saluda (3,086) Springdale (2,877) Hopkins* (2,514) South Congaree (2,424) Pine Ridge (2,346) Arthurtown* (2,294) Chapin (1,945) St. Matthews (1,827) Elgin (1,675) Gaston (1,651) Winnsboro Mills* (1,632) Gadsden* (1,301) Olympia* (1,087)
Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants
Edmund* (969) Arcadia Lakes (852) Swansea (777) Eastover (704) Gilbert (638) Pelion (625) Ridge Spring (594) Fairview Crossroads* (540) Summit (464) Cameron (367) Bethune (339) Ridgeway (254) Monetta (partial) (212) Ward (124) Abney Crossroads* (101) Boykin* (88) Jenkinsville (40)
Unincorporated places
Antioch Cassatt Fort Motte Horrell Hill Liberty Hill Lone Star Mitford Pontiac Sandy Run State Park Wateree Westville
Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 767,598 people, 294,881 households, and 193,598 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 60.40% White, 33.20% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.10% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $49,238, and the median income for a family was $61,972. Males had a median income of $43,658 versus $35,891 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $25,615.
Combined statistical area The Columbia–Sumter–Orangeburg, SC Combined Statistical Area is made up of nine counties in central South Carolina. The statistical area includes two metropolitan areas and two micropolitan areas. As of the 2025 Census estimates, the CSA had a population of 1,107,723 and is the second-largest CSA in the state. Statistical Area2025 estimate2020 CensusChangeAreaDensityColumbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical AreaSumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical AreaOrangeburg, SC Micropolitan Statistical AreaNewberry, SC Micropolitan Statistical AreaTotal
See also South Carolina statistical areas
References