Compare / Columbia to Washington
Columbia, SC vs Washington, DC
Simple answer
You'd likely save $1,212 a month in Columbia.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is Fair Market Rent. The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gap is $1,212: Washington is higher at $2,438 versus $1,226.
South Carolina taxes wages at rates up to 6.00%. District of Columbia taxes wages at rates up to 10.75%. Combined sales tax differs by 1.5 percentage points, higher in South Carolina. The effective property tax gap is 0.18 percentage points, higher in District of Columbia.
After a move from South Carolina to District of Columbia, these benefit results change for a family of four at $40,000 and a single adult at $18,000: Marketplace premium tax credits, Medicaid and CHIP.
A $75,000 salary in Columbia lines up with about $87,189 in Washington on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
Columbia
Columbia, SC
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,226
- HUD area
- Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,257
- All-items price parity
- 93.7
- Goods price parity
- 96.3
- Utilities price parity
- 88.3
- Mean commute
- 25.8 min
- Median household income
- $70,788
Washington
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $2,438
- HUD area
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $2,037
- All-items price parity
- 108.9
- Goods price parity
- 104.8
- Utilities price parity
- 106.7
- Mean commute
- 33.8 min
- Median household income
- $126,244
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$87,189
Salary in Washington that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$90,409
Gross salary in Washington whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$149,144
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | South Carolina | District of Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | up to 6.00% | up to 10.75% |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 7.5% | 6.0% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 0.45% | 0.63% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $1,786 a year in South Carolina and $2,506 in District of Columbia. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in District of Columbia
Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in South Carolina and once in District of Columbia. This is an illustration, not your application.
Food stamps (SNAP)
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Medicaid and CHIP
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
WIC
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
School meals
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
LIHEAP
ColumbiaMaybe
WashingtonMaybe
Earned Income Tax Credit
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Child Tax Credit
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Marketplace premium tax credits
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonUnlikely
Lifeline phone and internet
ColumbiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
SSI
ColumbiaUnlikely
WashingtonUnlikely
| Program | Columbia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Food stamps (SNAP) | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Likely eligible | Unlikely |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
Marketplace premium tax credits changes. In Columbia the result is “Likely inside the 2026 subsidy range.” In Washington it is “Unlikely — Medicaid is the closer program.” District of Columbia expanded Medicaid, and this income is in the Medicaid range. Marketplace subsidies are usually not the program in that case.
Related comparisons
From Columbia
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Columbia.
- Columbia and San Francisco · rent gap $2,471
- Columbia and San Jose · rent gap $2,046
- Columbia and Boston · rent gap $1,782
- Columbia and New York · rent gap $1,745
- Columbia and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,738
- Columbia and San Diego · rent gap $1,597
- Columbia and Miami · rent gap $1,338
- Columbia and Seattle · rent gap $1,323
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.