West Columbia, South Carolina
Encyclopedia
West Columbia is a city in Lexington County, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 13,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Columbia, South Carolina metropolitan area
As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, is an area consisting of six counties in central South Carolina, anchored by the city of Columbia. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had...

.

West Columbia was incorporated in 1894 as Brookland, but the United States 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, South Carolina. Numerous businesses, churches and a high school retain the Brookland and New Brookland names.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main airport for Columbia, South Carolina. The airport lies five miles southwest of Columbia's central business district, in Lexington County.-Airlines and destinations:...

, which serves Columbia, is located in this city. The airport is the location of a National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...

 radar station and Weather Forecast Office, which serves eighteen counties in South Carolina and five counties in Georgia.

Geography

West Columbia lies to the south and west of the Saluda
Saluda River
The Saluda River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 200 mi long, in northern and western South Carolina in the United States...

 and Congaree
Congaree River
The Congaree River is a short but wide river in South Carolina in the United States; It flows for only 47 miles . The river serves an important role as the final outlet channel for the entire Lower Saluda and Lower Broad watersheds, before merging with the Wateree River just north of Lake Marion to...

 Rivers.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (3.18%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 13,064 people, 5,968 households, and 3,300 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 2,150.6 people per square mile (831.0/km²). There were 6,436 housing units at an average density of 1,059.5 per square mile (409.4/km²). 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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.66% of the population.

There were 5,968 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,999, and the median income for a family was $40,253. Males had a median income of $30,033 versus $24,637 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $18,135. 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.

Education

Lexington County School Districts One and Two serve West Columbia. White Knoll High School serves some of the city's residents who live in District One, and there are two high schools in District Two, Brookland-Cayce High School
Brookland-Cayce High School
Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, South Carolina is a public high school offering education for grades 9 – 12, serving the surrounding communities of West Columbia, Cayce, South Congaree, Pine Ridge, and parts of Gaston....

 and Airport High School
Airport High School
Airport High School in West Columbia, South Carolina is a public high school offering education for grades 9 – 12, serving the surrounding communities of West Columbia, Cayce, South Congaree, Pine Ridge, and parts of Gaston. It derives its name from its location next to Columbia Metropolitan...

.

Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College
Midlands Technical College, is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving the primary region of Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina....

 also operates their Airport campus near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main airport for Columbia, South Carolina. The airport lies five miles southwest of Columbia's central business district, in Lexington County.-Airlines and destinations:...

.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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