West Columbia

West Columbia, formerly Brookland, is a city and commuter town in the suburban eastern sections of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population was 14,988, and the 2019 population estimate was 17,998. West Columbia was incorporated in 1894 as "Brookland", but the U.S. Postal Service called the town "New Brookland" since there was another town called Brookland. In 1936, the name was changed to "West Columbia" to emphasize its proximity to Columbia, the state capital. The Gervais Street Bridge, Mount Hebron Temperance Hall, New Brookland Historic District, and Saluda Factory Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash occurred just before midnight on September 19, 2008. Four of the six people on the plane (including both pilots) died in the crash, while the other two, Travis Barker (the drummer of Blink-182) and Adam Goldstein (DJ AM of Crazy Town), suffered severe burns. The plane was a charter flight taken by Barker, Goldstein and their entourage following a performance by their musical group TRV$DJAM at a free concert in Five Points earlier that night to Van Nuys, California. The city is bordered to the south by its sister suburb, Cayce. A small portion of the city borders the town of Lexington to the east. It is near Columbia's city center or downtown district as well as the South Carolina State House and the Congaree Vista, known locally as "the Vista".

History

West Columbia is the primary city name, but also Cayce are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is West Columbia, South Carolina. West Columbia was incorporated in 1894 as "Brookland" The U.S. Postal Service called the town "New Brookland" since there was another town called Brookland. In 1936, the name was changed to "West Columbia" to emphasize its proximity to Columbia, the capital. Numerous businesses, churches and a high school retain the Brookland and New Brookland names. The Gervais Street Bridge, Mount Hebron Temperance Hall, and Saluda Factory Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash occurred just before midnight on September 19, 2008. Four of the six people on the plane (including both pilots) died in the crash, while the other two, Travis Barker (the drummer of Blink-182) and Adam Goldstein (DJ AM of Crazy Town) suffered severe burns. The plane was a charter flight taken by Barker, Goldstein and their entourage following a performance by their musical group TRV$DJAM at a free concert in Five Points earlier that night to Van Nuys, California. The weather at the time was cool, dry, and clear. No one on the ground was hurt, but four of the five people on board the plane were killed, including both pilots. The other two were Barker and Goldstein, who were in a band called TRV $DJAM, which performed in the Five Points area of New York City the night before the crash. The crash was the first of its kind in the state of South Carolina.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which 6.1 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km²) (3.18%) is water. West Columbia lies to the south and west of the Saluda and Congaree rivers. The city is located in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's National Defense Training Area, which is part of the South Dakota Army National Guard. The town has a population of 2,816. The U.N. World Heritage Site is located near West Columbia, in the state of South Dakota. It is the site of the World War II-era Camp Columbia, which was built on the base of a former coal mine. The site is now home to the West Columbia Air Force Base, which has been in operation since the 1950s. The National Guard is based in West Columbia since the 1960s, and has a presence in the town since the 1970s. It also has a base of operations in the nearby town of Columbia, South Dakota, where it is located on the Missouri River. The United States Air Force Station at West Columbia was established in the 1940s and remains in service to the present day. The base is also the location of the National Guard’s Camp Columbia Air Station, which also lies in the region. The area is home to a number of military installations, including the Army Air Force Reserve Base, the Army National guard, and the Army Reserve Air Station.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 17,416 people, 8,315 households, and 3,764 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 74.54% White, 19.81% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.71% Asian,0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.04% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. West Columbia is the home of Glenforest School. The city's median income was $30,999, and the median income for a family was $40,253. About 12.8% of families and 16.8%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4%. of those age 65 or over. The population of West Columbia was 13,064 as of the census of 2000, with 6,436 housing units at an average density of 1,059.5 per square mile (409.4/km²). The city has a population of 17, 416 as of 2020, with 5,968 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was2.76. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there are 88.5 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 86.1 males.

Education

West Columbia has a public library, a branch of the Lexington County Public Library. The library is located in the West Columbia section of Lexington County. The Lexington County public library is open seven days a week. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days per week.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in West Columbia, Lexington County, South Carolina = 45.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 55. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in West Columbia = 4.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 15,635 individuals with a median age of 41 age the population grows by 5.70% in West Columbia, Lexington County, South Carolina population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,873.49 residents per square mile of area (723.38/km²). There are average 2.06 people per household in the 6,514 households with an average household income of $35,550 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.60% of the available work force and has dropped -2.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.36%. The number of physicians in West Columbia per 100,000 population = 151.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in West Columbia = 45.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 1.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 220. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 37.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 29, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in West Columbia, Lexington County, South Carolina which are owned by the occupant = 50.44%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $109,400 and home appreciation of -7.86%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.50 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,972 per student. There are 9.9 students for each teacher in the school, 500 students for each Librarian and 391 students for each Counselor. 7.17% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.83% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.33% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).