Winston-Salem, NC vs Columbia, SC — Compare Cost of Living, Housing, Crime & More

Population

Winston-Salem

250,887

Columbia

138,019

Median Income

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Columbia

$55,653

Home Value

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Columbia

$243,500

Rent

Winston-Salem

$1,033

Columbia

$1,158

Crime Rate

Winston-Salem

8.10

Columbia

7.70

Cost of Living

Winston-Salem

98.4

Columbia

100.1

Avg Temp

Winston-Salem

N/A

Columbia

N/A

Unemployment

Winston-Salem

5.9%

Columbia

7.6%

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How Similar Are Winston-Salem & Columbia?

Columbia is Winston-Salem's #3 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Winston-Salem

250,887

Columbia

138,019

Different · 45% difference

Winston-Salem has a 45% larger population than Columbia.

Violent Crime

Winston-Salem

8.10

Columbia

7.70

Match · 5% difference

🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 5% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Winston-Salem

29.21

Columbia

32.33

Match · 10% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 10% difference.

Political Leaning

Winston-Salem

42.8%

Columbia

31.8%

Different · 26% difference

🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Winston-Salem has a stronger Democratic lean (26% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Winston-Salem

5.9%

Columbia

7.6%

Different · 23% difference

Columbia has a 23% higher unemployment than Winston-Salem.

Median Income

Winston-Salem

$57,673

Columbia

$55,653

Match · 4% difference

💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Winston-Salem

$208,200

Columbia

$243,500

Different · 14% difference

Columbia has a 14% higher home values than Winston-Salem.

Education

Winston-Salem

24.1%

Columbia

26.5%

Match · 9% difference

🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 9% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Winston-Salem

48.7%

Columbia

49.9%

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 2% difference.

Cost of Living

Winston-Salem

98.4

Columbia

100.1

Match · 2% difference

💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Winston-Salem and Columbia share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

Winston-Salem

vsof 8

Columbia

Winston-Salem leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability

Winston-Salem

Housing Market

Winston-Salem

Jobs & Economy

Winston-Salem

Crime & Safety

Winston-Salem

Weather & Climate

Tied

Schools & Education

Tied

Healthcare

Tied

Transportation & Commute

Tied

Cost of Living & Affordability — Winston-Salem leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Columbia scores 76.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 88.2 in Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem scores 109.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 121.6 in Columbia. Winston-Salem has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,082 vs $1,164 in Columbia (7% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Winston-Salem98.4

★

Columbia100.1

Housing Index

Winston-Salem109.9

★

Columbia121.6

Food Index

Winston-Salem94.1

Columbia92.5

★

Transportation Index

Winston-Salem88.2

Columbia76.5

★

Healthcare Index

Winston-Salem95.3

Columbia94.0

★

Utilities Index

Winston-Salem98.4

★

Columbia99.8

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Winston-Salem$43,287

★

Columbia$44,029

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Winston-Salem$102,314

★

Columbia$104,068

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Winston-Salem$1,082

★

Columbia$1,164

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Winston-Salem$1,232

★

Columbia$1,276

Housing Market — Winston-Salem leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Columbia has a median property tax of $1,608 vs $1,964 in Winston-Salem (22% lower). Winston-Salem has a vacancy rate of 11.6% compared to 14.5% in Columbia. Winston-Salem has a owner-occupied of 54.6% compared to 47.3% in Columbia.

Median Home Value

Winston-Salem$208,200

Columbia$243,500

★

Median Rent

Winston-Salem$1,033

★

Columbia$1,158

Median Property Tax

Winston-Salem$1,964

Columbia$1,608

★

Owner-Occupied

Winston-Salem54.6%

★

Columbia47.3%

Vacancy Rate

Winston-Salem11.6%

★

Columbia14.5%

Single-Family Homes

Winston-Salem65.9%

★

Columbia57.4%

Jobs & Economy — Winston-Salem leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem: 122,917 vs Columbia: 76,809 for labor force. Winston-Salem has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 9.8% in Columbia. Winston-Salem has a poverty rate of 17.9% compared to 23.3% in Columbia.

Median Household Income

Winston-Salem$57,673

★

Columbia$55,653

Per Capita Income

Winston-Salem$35,074

Columbia$38,087

★

Poverty Rate

Winston-Salem17.9%

★

Columbia23.3%

Unemployment Rate

Winston-Salem5.9%

★

Columbia7.6%

Labor Force

Winston-Salem122,917

★

Columbia76,809

Mean Commute

Winston-SalemN/A

Columbia16 min

Work from Home

Winston-Salem12.3%

★

Columbia9.8%

Private Sector

Winston-Salem86.5%

★

Columbia84.6%

Government Sector

Winston-Salem41.8%

★

Columbia38.4%

Crime & Safety — Winston-Salem leads

Source: FBI UCR

Winston-Salem has a violent crime clearance of 44.7% compared to 34.1% in Columbia. Winston-Salem has a property crime clearance of 16.8% compared to 13.4% in Columbia. Columbia has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.10 compared to 0.11 in Winston-Salem.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem8.10

Columbia7.70

★

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem29.21

★

Columbia32.33

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem0.11

Columbia0.10

★

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem0.97

★

Columbia1.09

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem6.55

Columbia5.90

★

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem5.70

Columbia4.97

★

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Winston-Salem19.97

★

Columbia23.57

Violent Crime Clearance

Winston-Salem44.7%

★

Columbia34.1%

Property Crime Clearance

Winston-Salem16.8%

★

Columbia13.4%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Avg Annual High

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Avg Annual Low

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Annual Rainfall

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Annual Snowfall

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Avg Humidity

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Columbia has a bachelor's degree or higher of 26.5% compared to 24.1% in Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem has a high school diploma or higher of 39.5% compared to 37.5% in Columbia.

Public Schools

Winston-Salem0

Columbia0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Winston-SalemN/A

ColumbiaN/A

Colleges & Universities

Winston-Salem0

Columbia0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Winston-Salem24.1%

Columbia26.5%

★

High School Diploma or Higher

Winston-Salem39.5%

★

Columbia37.5%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem has a population of 250,887, about 1.8x the size of Columbia (138,019). Columbia skews younger with a median age of 28.7 vs 35.6.

Population

Winston-Salem250,887

Columbia138,019

Median Age

Winston-Salem36

Columbia29

Avg Household Size

Winston-Salem2.4

Columbia2.2

Married Population

Winston-Salem34.0%

Columbia27.3%

Foreign Born

Winston-Salem10.7%

Columbia5.1%

White

Winston-Salem48.7%

Columbia49.9%

Black

Winston-Salem32.4%

Columbia39.5%

Hispanic

Winston-Salem17.9%

Columbia5.7%

Asian

Winston-Salem2.3%

Columbia2.7%

Winston-Salem

Columbia

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Nearby Hospitals

Winston-Salem5

Columbia5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Winston-Salem3.8

Columbia3.8

With Emergency Services

Winston-Salem4

Columbia4

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Winston-Salem has a work from home of 12.3% compared to 9.8% in Columbia. Columbia has a bicycle of 0.3% compared to 0.3% in Winston-Salem. Columbia has a public transit of 1.4% compared to 1.2% in Winston-Salem.

Mean Commute Time

Winston-SalemN/A

Columbia16 min

Drive Alone

Winston-Salem73.2%

★

Columbia62.9%

Public Transit

Winston-Salem1.2%

Columbia1.4%

★

Bicycle

Winston-Salem0.3%

Columbia0.3%

★

Work from Home

Winston-Salem12.3%

★

Columbia9.8%

Airports

Winston-Salem0

Columbia0

Cities Similar to Winston-Salem, NC

Compare Winston-Salem against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

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