Be honest, are you from Columbia?

According to Migration Patterns — using data from the United States Census Bureau — 43% of Columbia residents were born and raised in the Capital City. We poked around on the map, which shows where people moved between the ages 16 and 26, and found a few interesting facts:

69% of residents who moved to Columbia by age 16 elected to stay through young adulthood.
31% chose to leave the city
14% stayed in SC — 3.2% moved to Charleston, 2.8% moved to the Charlotte metro area on the Carolinas border, and 2.7% moved to Greenville
18% chose to leave the state before age 26 — top destinations include Atlanta, New York City, Washington DC, and Raleigh
63% of Columbia residents came from out of the city.
17% came from other areas of SC — 2.8% came from Florence, 2.7% came from Sumter, 2.4% came from Charleston and Greenville
20% came from out of state — most common areas include Atlanta, New York, Washington DC, and Philadelphia

View the Columbia map — or any other US city — for yourself.

🌎 Where do most USC students come from?

USC’s most recent incoming freshman class included more in-state students than ever before. Of the 6,596 new students, 3,400 are South Carolina residents, including one from each of our state’s 46 counties. 43% of the student population comes from out-of-state, the most coming from North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia.

🌎 Talent retention in the Soda City

Higher education plays a significant role in the Soda City economy and keeping bright minds around after they graduate is a major goal of the Capital City. Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR) is the greater Columbia community’s organization that works to attract and retain students, recent graduates, recent arrivals, and young professionals.

🌎 Get involved

Crash Course Columbia, a COR program, is hosting a free mini tour on Fri., Dec. 16, 1-6 p.m. The tour will have a community leader at each spot and cover the Main Street District, West Columbia, Cayce, and the Vista to explore Cola’s history, recent development, public art, and food scene. Register here for the first come, first serve tour.