Columbia, SC vs Summerville, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbia, SC outspends Summerville, SC by a wide margin per resident — $19,896 versus $9,946, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Summerville, SC edges Columbia, SC on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Summerville, SC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, SC carries $1,389 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbia, SC at $1,265 per resident and in Summerville, SC at $631.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Columbia, SC at 13% of total revenue, whereas Summerville, SC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 84%.
Summary
Columbia spends 100.0% more per capita than Summerville ($9,950/person difference). Summerville, SC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $623 | $92 |
| Income Tax | $42 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,842 | $4,202 |
| Charges & Fees | $8,276 | $2,363 |
| Other | $6,537 | $971 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $467 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $454 | $527 |
| Public Welfare | $433 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,042 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,265 | $631 |
| Housing | $3,604 | $2,315 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $153 |
| Utilities | $4,665 | $2,819 |
| Other | $7,824 | $3,350 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.