Columbia, SC Metro Area Immigration

Population

The Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population 1/ increased from 402,914 in 1970 to 767,604 in 2010. That was an increase of 90.5 percent.

The foreign-born (FB) population increased from 3,416 in 1970 to 36,455 in 2010. That was an increase of 967.2 percent. The foreign-born share changed from 0.8 percent to 4.7 percent.

The share of the overall population that was native-born (NB) increased by 83.0 percent.

	Columbia MSA: Population  1970-2010

Sources of Population Change

The primary sources of population change are:

Natural Change [Births minus Deaths or B-D];
Net Domestic Migration [NDM - movement between states]; and
Net International Migration [NIM - movement into and out of the country].
There is also a residual "other" amount that isn't placed in one of those three categories.

The first chart below shows the three population change factors for three periods adjusted for annual average amounts. Natural change (B-D) and NDM were the principal factor in adding population in all periods.

The second chart shows the same data but with an adjustment to reflect births to immigrants shifted to NIM. In it, B-D and NDM continued to be the principal factors in the area's population increase.

	Columbia MSA: Sources of Population Change 1990-2014 		Columbia MSA: Sources of Population Change (Adjusted) 1990-2014

		B-D	NDM	 NIM						B-D	NDM	 NIM	
	90-'99	52.5%	42.5%	 4.9%					90-'99	47.3%	42.5%	10.1%
	00-'09	34.4%	54.9%	10.7%					00-'09	28.3%	54.9%	16.8%
	10-'14	41.9%	37.1%	21.0%					10-'14	32.1%	37.1%	30.8%

1/ Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland, and Saluda counties.

Links:

MSA Factsheets by state, and alphabetically.

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