on $100k a year, leaving Madison
changea dispatch from
columbia
SC
34.00°N
81.03°W
Columbia is the South Carolina capital, USC Gamecock country, and home to one of the largest urban rivers (the Congaree) flowing right past downtown. The Saluda River outside town is a tubing destination locals swear by, and Congaree National Park's old-growth cypress is a 30-minute drive. The state museum is a sleeper good time. Slower-paced than Charleston, less touristy.
in our guides
the verdict
under Madison, every month
Columbia and Madison land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
a quick ledger.
$1,551/mo
7% cheaper than Madison(vs $1,673/mo)
6.5%
$19/mo more in state tax than Madison
vs 6.27% in Madison
$6,241/mo
$103 more than Madison
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$255k
45% cheaper than Madison
vs $465k in Madison
857k
vs 694k in Madison
field notes, weather & such.
189
pleasant days a year, in columbia.
Madison only logs 147 pleasant days. Summers run hot, though: 27 days above 95° vs Madison's 0.
But the calendar thins out: Madison stays 2.1× busier.
55/100
18% lower than Madison
vs 67/100 in Madison
Closest outdoor draw: Congaree National Park, 29.1 mi.
85/100
3% lower than Madison
vs 88/100 in Madison
10
9% fewer than Madison
vs 11 nonstops in Madison
cities that play in columbia's register:
compare columbia with:
