Columbia, SC, South Carolina: Republican loyalist market. In 2024, voted D+1%. Democratic peak: D+98 in 1936.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+1MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- Republican loyalistAkashic typology
- Population
- 1,122,7462024 5-year
- Median household income
- $64,5202024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 51.9%2024 5-year
- Black
- 37.2%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 6.3%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+98 in 1932MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+37 in 1972MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for Columbia, SC, SCOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 256,488 | 251,166 | 515,655 | ||
| D | 284,031 | 244,156 | 535,640 | ||
| D | 236,404 | 214,259 | 470,544 | ||
| D | 244,836 | 209,391 | 459,916 | ||
| D | 239,104 | 212,309 | 455,835 | ||
| R | 182,272 | 196,405 | 382,154 | ||
| R | 152,938 | 174,420 | 334,611 | ||
| D | 132,944 | 129,080 | 276,123 | ||
| R | 134,250 | 138,667 | 302,577 | ||
| R | 96,701 | 142,851 | 243,347 | ||
| R | 91,737 | 146,648 | 241,738 | ||
| R | 100,447 | 112,165 | 218,517 | ||
| D | 104,843 | 94,033 | 200,079 | ||
| R | 53,484 | 117,640 | 173,477 | ||
| R | 53,497 | 65,021 | 162,709 | ||
| R | 45,155 | 80,281 | 125,437 | ||
| R | 34,823 | 49,830 | 84,653 | ||
| O | 20,228 | 14,784 | 62,846 | ||
| R | 28,162 | 44,277 | 72,439 | ||
| O | 5,359 | 1,276 | 31,488 | ||
| D | 21,080 | 524 | 23,398 | ||
| D | 16,145 | 407 | 16,552 | ||
| D | 23,345 | 0 | 23,721 | ||
| D | 17,760 | 0 | 18,161 | ||
| D | 13,993 | 919 | 14,917 | ||
| D | 12,095 | 233 | 12,487 | ||
| D | 15,209 | 1,004 | 16,228 | ||
| D | 15,340 | 731 | 16,334 | ||
| D | 10,567 | 0 | 11,214 | ||
| D | 15,714 | 1,177 | 16,932 | ||
| D | 13,656 | 721 | 14,377 | ||
| D | 10,749 | 599 | 11,348 | ||
| D | 13,361 | 1,797 | 15,222 | ||
| D | 12,276 | 2,952 | 15,561 | ||
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Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
English
9.3%
German
8.8%
Irish
6.8%
American
6.2%
Italian
2.4%
Scottish
1.7%
French
0.8%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 38.3 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$64,520
Columbia, SC ranks near the middle of US counties.
Columbia, SC$64,520
South Carolina$69,324
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
15.6%
Children face moderate poverty.
Children under 1820.7%
Working age (18–64)14.3%
Seniors (65+)12.7%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
92.2%
speak English only
Spanish4.6%
Other Indo-European1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander1.2%
Other languages0.6%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 45.0% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
The Columbia DMA anchors South Carolina's Midlands, blending a large state-government workforce, two major universities, and Fort Jackson — the Army's largest basic-training post — into an electorate that swings differently than the coast or Upstate.
The Republican margin in Columbia, SC reached its widest at thirty-seven points in 1972. The margin in 2024 was one points, in line with the market's deep historical pattern.
Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $64,520, a 52% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 1,122,746 together describe a market whose political habits are deeply settled.
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Columbia, SC, South Carolina — The Long Memory. Akashic Intelligence — The Long Memory. https://tiers.akashic.app/dma/546/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did Columbia, SC, South Carolina vote in 2024?
In 2024, Columbia, SC, South Carolina voted Democratic by 1.0 points (D+1), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 515,655 votes cast, 256,488 went Democratic and 251,166 went Republican.
What is Columbia, SC, South Carolina's political archetype?
Akashic classifies Columbia, SC, South Carolina as a "Republican loyalist" market based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the market has voted Democratic 21 times, Republican 11 times, and other 2 times.
When did Columbia, SC, South Carolina last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Columbia, SC, South Carolina voted Republican was 2004.
How many people live in Columbia, SC, South Carolina?
Columbia, SC, South Carolina has a population of 1,122,746 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Columbia, SC, South Carolina?
Median household income in Columbia, SC, South Carolina is $64,520 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Carolina state median is $69,324.
What is the political history of Columbia, SC, South Carolina?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Columbia, SC, South Carolina from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 21 went Democratic and 11 went Republican. The market's archetype — "Republican loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.