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City · 17,963 residents · Lexington County, South Carolina

West Columbia , South Carolina

In West Columbia, a typical home is worth $201,700 and typical rent is $1,201 a month. Compared with all of Lexington County, typical household income is 26% lower, the typical home value is 14% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 22 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $201,700

    14% below the county

    22% below South Carolina

    • West Columbia
    • Lexington
    • South Carolina

  • Typical rent

    $1,201a month

    About the same as the county

    About the same as South Carolina

    • West Columbia
    • Lexington
    • South Carolina

  • Typical household income

    $56,912a year

    26% below the county

    18% below South Carolina

    • West Columbia
    • Lexington
    • South Carolina

  • Households that own their home

    55%

    22 points below the county

    17 points below South Carolina

    • West Columbia
    • Lexington
    • South Carolina

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$227,687
2.8% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,558 a month
5.3% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

West Columbia is in Lexington County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Lexington County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets West Columbia apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 55% of households in West Columbia own their home, against 77% in Lexington County.

  2. The typical household income in West Columbia is $56,912, 26% less than in Lexington County as a whole ($77,408).

  3. Nearby, in St. Andrews, the typical home value is $161,300: 20% less than in West Columbia ($201,700).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in West Columbia

What homes there are in West Columbia, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses are the majority in West Columbia (61%), but less so than in Lexington County (71%).

Year built

The typical home in West Columbia was built in 1976, 17 years before the typical one in Lexington County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 95% of owner-occupied homes in West Columbia sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,244 a month

Lexington County: $1,403 a month

Without a mortgage

$382 a month

Lexington County: $422 a month

Owners with a mortgage

55%

Lexington County: 63%

In West Columbia, 55% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,244 a month, against $1,403 in Lexington County. Without one it drops to $382.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in West Columbia rose 41%; in Lexington County, it rose 49%.

The typical rent in West Columbia rose 39% over the same time; in Lexington County, it rose 29%.

Here income did not keep up with housing: it rose 22%, while home values changed +41% and rent +39%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureWest ColumbiaLexington CountySouth CarolinaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate4.0%8.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.4%0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.9%2.0%3.4%
People per household 2.072.482.442.53
Drive alone 76%77%76%69%
Carpool 9%9%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%2%3%
Work from home 10%12%12%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in West Columbia are smaller: 2.07 people on average; in Lexington County, 2.48.

In West Columbia, 76% of workers drive alone to work; in Lexington County, 77%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in West Columbia?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in West Columbia, worth $201,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 34% of the typical household income in West Columbia, which is $56,912 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $68,814 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Lexington County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in West Columbia. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,060 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,606

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$198,046
Total interest
$284,942
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,406 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,328 a month

  • Tight

    $1,328 to $1,707 a month

    Your payment · 34%

  • Hard

    more than $1,707 a month

Compared with the typical household income in West Columbia ($56,912 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,606
Principal & interest$1,342
Property tax$91
Home insurance$84
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$89

You need at least $7,060 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

West Columbia and Lexington County

West Columbia is in Lexington County, South Carolina. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

West Columbia's own numbers

Typical home value
$201,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,201
Typical yearly household income
$56,912
Households that own their home
55%
Effective property tax rate
0.54%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Lexington County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,226
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+60%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.2%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Lexington County.

Everything about Lexington County

Buying

Buying a home in West Columbia

A typical home in West Columbia is worth $201,700: 14% below the county and 22% below South Carolina. With the typical household income in West Columbia ($56,912 a year), a typical home costs 3.5 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • West Columbia 3.5 years
  • Lexington 3.0 years
  • South Carolina 3.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Lexington County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Lexington County rose 94% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Lexington County.

Period County South Carolina U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.7% +3.6% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +60% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +94% +104% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

West Columbia next to Lexington County, South Carolina and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • West Columbia $201,700
  • Lexington $234,500
  • South Carolina $259,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • West Columbia $1,201
  • Lexington $1,178
  • South Carolina $1,180
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • West Columbia $56,912
  • Lexington $77,408
  • South Carolina $69,324
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
West Columbia next to Lexington County and South Carolina
Measure West Columbia Lexington County South Carolina U.S.
Typical home value $201,700 $234,500 $259,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,201 $1,178 $1,180 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $56,912 $77,408 $69,324 $80,734
Households that own their home 55% 77% 72% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,086 $1,151 $1,251 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.54% 0.49% 0.48% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 49% 48% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Lexington County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in West Columbia

For a typical $201,700 home in West Columbia, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, West Columbia's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,606a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,060
    Cash to close
    $13,111
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $89

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,569a month

    Down payment
    $10,085
    Cash to close
    $16,136
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $96

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,268a month

    Down payment
    $40,340
    Cash to close
    $46,391
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,454a month

    Down payment
    $30,255
    Cash to close
    $36,306
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for West Columbia and for Lexington County.

Property tax

Effective rate in West Columbia

0.54%of the home’s value each year

$1,086 a year for the typical owner in West Columbia.

  • West Columbia 0.54%
  • Lexington 0.49%
  • South Carolina 0.48%

What South Carolina publishes Special 4% assessment ratio for your legal residence (South Carolina General Assembly (South Carolina Code of Laws))

Exemptions and deadlines in South Carolina

Flood risk in Lexington County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Lexington County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.2%
1,395
Of those, with NFIP insurance
67%
County South Carolina U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.2% 4% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 67% 85% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in West Columbia

Typical rent in West Columbia is $1,201 a month: about the same as the county. In West Columbia, 49% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Lexington County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,226 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $23.58 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Lexington County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $992 $19.08 $39,680
1 bedroom $1,126 $21.65 $45,040
2 bedrooms $1,226 $23.58 $49,040
3 bedrooms $1,546 $29.73 $61,840
4 bedrooms $1,754 $33.73 $70,160

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in West Columbia

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). West Columbia is in ZIP code 29169.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,190: $36 less than the fair market rent for Lexington County ($1,226).

  • 29169 $1,190$1,500

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for West Columbia when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in West Columbia

HUD lists 2 buildings with rents for lower incomes in West Columbia. These are the largest.

  • Asbury Arms 100 Asbury Ln, West Columbia 29169 56 homes, 55 low-income · For older adults (803) 794-8052
  • Sandwood Apartments, Inc. 1151A Comanchee Trl, West Columbia 29169 12 low-income homes · For people with disabilities (803) 799-1970

See all 30 buildings in Lexington County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in West Columbia

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Lexington County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in West Columbia

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for West Columbia or Lexington County. The ones below are statewide in South Carolina: they work in West Columbia the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in South Carolina

  • Palmetto Home Advantage

    Statewide in South Carolina

    South Carolina state agency program with forgivable down payment assistance of 0%, 3% or 4% of the loan, with no monthly payments, for any buyer in all 46 counties. Offered by SC Housing (South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • SC Housing Homebuyer Program

    Statewide in South Carolina

    South Carolina state agency fixed-rate mortgage with forgivable help for the down payment, closing costs or prepaid expenses: a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments, forgiven if you live in the home 15 years. Offered by SC Housing (South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near West Columbia

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of West Columbia, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Columbia, SC

    810 Dutch Square Blvd Suite 220, Columbia · 3 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (803) 255-0223

  • New America Corporation

    1136 Russell St, Orangeburg · 37 miles away

    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • Homebuyer education workshops
    (803) 534-0035

  • Southeastern Housing & Community Development Fka Southeastern Housing Foundation

    986 Doyle St, Orangeburg · 37 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 3 more
    (803) 534-9950

All counseling agencies in South Carolina

Help in Spanish near West Columbia

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of West Columbia

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Lexington County is named for West Columbia or Lexington County.

One other authority has an office in Lexington County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Lexington County

These cities are also in Lexington County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Lexington County Housing in South Carolina

Nearby cities

The cities closest to West Columbia, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Lexington County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in West Columbia.

All guides
Three generations of a family gather on the porch of their home.

Questions

Housing questions about West Columbia

Short answers with the numbers for West Columbia and all of Lexington County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in West Columbia?

The typical home value in West Columbia is $201,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Lexington County it is $234,500.

How much does it cost to rent in West Columbia?

Typical rent in West Columbia is $1,201 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Lexington County is $1,226.

What is the FHA loan limit in West Columbia?

West Columbia uses the FHA limit for all of Lexington County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in West Columbia?

The typical homeowner in West Columbia pays $1,086 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.54% of the home’s value; in Lexington County, the rate is 0.49%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in West Columbia?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Lexington County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).