What HUD offices serve West Columbia, South Carolina?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the South Carolina Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near West Columbia.
How many renters live in West Columbia, South Carolina?
The City of West Columbia has 17,459 people living in 8,162 households.
There are 7,819 renters living in 3,562 renter households in this City. Renters make up 44.78 percent of the population living in West Columbia.
What is the rental market like in West Columbia, South Carolina?
There are an estimated 8,674 housing units in the West Columbia area. Of these, 3,743 units are rental homes, making up 43 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in West Columbia, South Carolina, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in West Columbia?
The rental vacancy rate in West Columbia is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in West Columbia for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Columbia
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192 | 644 | 2,073 | 561 | 92 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Columbia
A large number of apartments in West Columbia have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in West Columbia are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 40 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 22 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in West Columbia
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,036 to $1,917. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,036 |
| One BR | $1,110 |
| Two BR | $1,246 |
| Three BR | $1,595 |
| Four BR | $1,917 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in West Columbia, South Carolina
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in West Columbia?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 45 | 23 percent |
| One BR | 371 | 58 percent |
| Two BR | 1,526 | 74 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in West Columbia, South Carolina
How many affordable rental units are in West Columbia?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in West Columbia, South Carolina including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 262 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 9 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in West Columbia, South Carolina
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in West Columbia, South Carolina
West Columbia features 68 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in West Columbia, South Carolina
There are 262 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in West Columbia.
Housing Choice Vouchers in West Columbia, South Carolina
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay West Columbia landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in West Columbia.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in West Columbia, South Carolina for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,121 and $1,371.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
