HousingPermits

Metro area in South Carolina · part of the Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg, SC combined area

Columbia, SC

The Columbia metro area authorized 6,070 new housing units in 2025. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 7.0 units a year in 2021–2025, 1.5 times the national rate of 4.7. Buildings of five or more units took 17% of its 2021–2025 units, less than the national 34%.

02,5005,0007,50010k2004: 7,249 units (6,056 single-family, 189 in 2–4 unit, 1,004 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 7,430 units (6,651 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 739 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 8,117 units (6,494 single-family, 170 in 2–4 unit, 1,453 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 6,865 units (5,576 single-family, 41 in 2–4 unit, 1,248 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 4,348 units (3,488 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 828 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 3,498 units (2,583 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 915 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 2,942 units (2,527 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 415 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 2,897 units (2,390 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 501 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,729 units (2,791 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 938 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,645 units (3,183 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 462 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 4,067 units (3,300 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 760 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 4,642 units (3,678 single-family, 66 in 2–4 unit, 898 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,627 units (3,916 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 711 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 4,629 units (4,072 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 549 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 4,952 units (4,478 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 446 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 4,424 units (4,209 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 205 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,872 units (4,787 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 81 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 6,881 units (5,853 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,004 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 5,804 units (4,101 single-family, 193 in 2–4 unit, 1,510 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 5,465 units (4,634 single-family, 229 in 2–4 unit, 602 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,892 units (4,469 single-family, 327 in 2–4 unit, 1,096 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 6,070 units (4,969 single-family, 237 in 2–4 unit, 864 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252006 high · 8,1172011 low · 2,89703,0006,0009,0002004: 7,249 units (6,056 single-family, 189 in 2–4 unit, 1,004 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 7,430 units (6,651 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 739 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 8,117 units (6,494 single-family, 170 in 2–4 unit, 1,453 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 6,865 units (5,576 single-family, 41 in 2–4 unit, 1,248 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 4,348 units (3,488 single-family, 32 in 2–4 unit, 828 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 3,498 units (2,583 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 915 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 2,942 units (2,527 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 415 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 2,897 units (2,390 single-family, 6 in 2–4 unit, 501 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 3,729 units (2,791 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 938 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,645 units (3,183 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 462 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 4,067 units (3,300 single-family, 7 in 2–4 unit, 760 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 4,642 units (3,678 single-family, 66 in 2–4 unit, 898 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 4,627 units (3,916 single-family, 0 in 2–4 unit, 711 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 4,629 units (4,072 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 549 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 4,952 units (4,478 single-family, 28 in 2–4 unit, 446 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 4,424 units (4,209 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 205 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 4,872 units (4,787 single-family, 4 in 2–4 unit, 81 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 6,881 units (5,853 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 1,004 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 5,804 units (4,101 single-family, 193 in 2–4 unit, 1,510 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 5,465 units (4,634 single-family, 229 in 2–4 unit, 602 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,892 units (4,469 single-family, 327 in 2–4 unit, 1,096 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 6,070 units (4,969 single-family, 237 in 2–4 unit, 864 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252006 high · 8,117

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Houses or apartments

The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Brunswick (17% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2022 (1,510), single-family houses in 2005 (6,651).

2021–202579.8%80%3.4%16.9%17%2004–200684.2%84%1.8%14.0%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202579.8%80%3.4%16.9%17%2004–200684.2%84%1.8%14.0%14%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 19 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Columbia, with 9,536 units or 32% of the total, followed by Lexington County (unincorporated) with 8,366. Among the three largest, Columbia put 48% of its units in five-plus buildings, Richland County (unincorporated) 0%.

  • Columbia32% (9,536 units)
  • Lexington County (unincorporated)28% (8,366 units)
  • Richland County (unincorporated)19% (5,827 units)
  • Kershaw County (unincorporated)7.1% (2,124 units)
  • Blythewood town3.2% (971 units)
  • Lexington town2.5% (758 units)
  • Camden2.2% (675 units)
  • West Columbia2.1% (646 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Where in the metro

Richland County accounted for 54% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Lexington County for 34%.

  • Richland County54% (3,382 in 2025)
  • Lexington County34% (2,006 in 2025)
  • Kershaw County9.3% (509 in 2025)
  • Fairfield County1.2% (74 in 2025)
  • Saluda County1.1% (61 in 2025)
  • Calhoun County0.4% (38 in 2025)

Boom, bust and since

Columbia, SC authorized the most units in 2006 (8,117); 2025 reached 75% of that. Its peak year is shared by 30 other metro areas, among them Baton Rouge, Greensboro, Wichita. Annual permits fell from 8,117 during the mid-2000s boom to 2,897 in 2011, a drop of 64%. The nearest bust profile in the South Atlantic states was Huntington's (65%). The 2021–2025 pace of 6,022 units a year is 21% below the 2004–2006 pace.

The wider Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg region

The Census Bureau groups Columbia, SC with one neighboring metro area in the Columbia-Sumter-Orangeburg, SC combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 6,405 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Columbia, SC accounted for 94%. The other, with its yearly average: Sumter (383).

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ1,9742.533%
El Paso, TX2,0502.87.4%
Columbia, SC6,0707.017%
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL13,54716.527%
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL8,23613.821%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Columbia, SC beside El Paso

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: South Carolina. Counting rules.