The typical owner-occupied home in Columbia is worth about $120,000, 58% below the North Carolina median of $288,900 and 64% below the national median of $332,700. The median household earns $25,893 a year, so the median home costs 4.6 times the median income (4.0 times for North Carolina). 49% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 53% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Columbia at a glance
| Columbia | North Carolina | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,000 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | – | $1,896 | $3,119 |
| Median household income | $25,893 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 49% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 53% | 61% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,058 | $1,631 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 19.5% | 19.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $678 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 42.1% | 29.5% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1951 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 33.4% | 12.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 759 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Columbia
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Columbia home of $120,000 with 20% down costs about $806 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,006, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $34,534 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 37% of the median Columbia household income of $25,893; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $90,000.
The median rent here is $678 a month, so owning the median home costs about $128 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.
| Down payment | $24,000 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $96,000 |
| Principal and interest | $646 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $110 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $50 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $806 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $4,200 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $117,826 |
| Principal and interest | $793 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $110 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $50 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $53 |
| Total per month | $1,006 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Columbia
What is the median home value in Columbia?
About $120,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
What income do you need to buy a home in Columbia?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $806 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $34,534 a year.
More about Columbia
- Mortgage Refinance in Columbia
- Debt Relief in Columbia
- Home Equity Loans in Columbia
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data