Commercial Real Estate Market in Columbia, SC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
721 active listings and 12,918 off-market properties in Columbia, SC. Commercial property asks $74/SF to buy and $17.89/SF/Yr to lease. Office vacancy runs 7.9%, the loosest of the segments tracked here.
Market Trends
Columbia, SC spans 295.5 square miles in Richland County, South Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Columbia, SC runs 7.9% in 2025, down from 18.6% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate %
Retail
Retail vacancy in Columbia, SC runs 5.7% in 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020. Nearly 1.3x the 2023 low of 4.4%.
Vacancy Rate %
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Columbia, SC runs 5.5% in 2025, up from 3.9% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate %
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Columbia, SC runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Civic 80.1%
- Residential 4.5%
- Planned_development 4.4%
- Mixed use 4%
- Open space 3.3%
- Industrial 2.8%
- Commercial 0.9%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Institutional Fort Jackson District
Institutional General District
Planned Development And General District
Residential Single Family And Large Lot District
Residential Single Family And Medium Lot District
Residential Single Family And Medium Lot District (RSF-2)
Reserve District ................................................................................ 3-8 (e) RSF-1: Residential Single-Family - Large Lot District ................................................ 3-10 (f) RSF-2: Residential Single-Family - Medium Lot District ........................................... 3-12 (g) RSF-3: Residential Single-Family -…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Columbia, SC has 344,350 residents in 156,960 households. Density runs 1,165 people per square mile. Median household income here is $58,860 and median gross rent $1,232 a month.
344,350
Population
156,960
Households
2.2
Avg Household Size
35
Median Age
42%
College-Educated
92%
High-School Grad
295.5 sq mi
ZIP Area
1,165
Density / Sq Mi
$58,860
Median Household Income
$36,925
Median Earnings
$1,232
Median Rent
$209,361
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Olympia | — | — |
| South Congaree | — | — |
| Five Points | — | — |
| West Columbia | — | $14.18 |
Commercial property in Columbia, SC asks $74/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Columbia?
Commercial property in Columbia, SC asks an average of $74 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $290/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Columbia?
Asking lease rates in Columbia, SC average $17.89 per square foot per year.
What is the office vacancy rate in Columbia?
Office vacancy in Columbia, SC is 7.9% as of 2025, down from 18.6% in 2020. Retail vacancy is 5.7%, below Office vacancy.
Which property type has the lowest vacancy in Columbia?
Industrial has the lowest vacancy in Columbia, SC at 5.5%, inside a 3.9–5.5% band since 2022. For comparison: office 7.9%, retail 5.7% and multifamily 11.3% (South).
Where does Realmo's Columbia market data come from?
Realmo compiles Columbia, SC figures from 4 recent recorded sales, 416 active sale listings, 305 active lease listings, 12,918 tracked off-market properties, the current Columbia zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 416 active for-sale and 305 active for-lease listings in Columbia, SC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 84,572 zoned acres across 26 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- multifamily vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
