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My family is going to be relocating to Columbia for work in early April. Any advise on towns, schools, etc. would be great. Also, we are looking to rent until we get a feel for things, can anyone recommend a realtor who could help us with our search? Anything else we should know about the area? Thanks for all advise!
Yes, our budget is more than 1,000. How is the commute times from those areas to downtown? Also, what is an average electric and water bill for a family of 5? Thanks for your help!
You may also want o consider the Northeast side of Columbia or Blythewood. My Son attends Lake Carolina Elementary and we have been very impressed. If you are close to the interstate the trip downtown is pretty quick, but traffic does get rough in the morning and evening.
My family is going to be relocating to Columbia for work in early April. Any advise on towns, schools, etc. would be great. Also, we are looking to rent until we get a feel for things, can anyone recommend a realtor who could help us with our search? Anything else we should know about the area? Thanks for all advise!
If you could be more specific in what you are looking for it would help a lot. I will say there is pretty much something for everyone in the Columbia area, and each area has is own feel. The area's geography also makes it very spread out. Keep in mind that school rating often reflect the populations that attend, and not the quality of instruction or program offerings overall. There are also private schools in the area where tuition ranges from $10,000- $17,000 for elementary and tops out around $20,000 a year for high school, both religious and secular.
A little piece of consideration with everyone recommending Rich/Lex5 area- The freeway and other roads that lead to downtown will be undergoing a $1.5 Billion dollar construction project that could last for up to 10 years. During that time commutes could be an hour or more depending on the location of your residence and the phase of the project.
If you could be more specific in what you are looking for it would help a lot. I will say there is pretty much something for everyone in the Columbia area, and each area has is own feel. The area's geography also makes it very spread out. Keep in mind that school rating often reflect the populations that attend, and not the quality of instruction or program offerings overall. There are also private schools in the area where tuition ranges from $10,000- $17,000 for elementary and tops out around $20,000 a year for high school, both religious and secular.
A little piece of consideration with everyone recommending Rich/Lex5 area- The freeway and other roads that lead to downtown will be undergoing a $1.5 Billion dollar construction project that could last for up to 10 years. During that time commutes could be an hour or more depending on the location of your residence and the phase of the project.
True, but that is a year out. So they’ll get adjusted quick and then that commute won’t seem as bad. And every interstate in Columbia will be under construction at that point. 26/20/126 will be the biggest of them. But widening Columbia Avenue in Chapin and I-26 to three lanes to the Chapin Exit, Exit 92. I-77 being widened. I-20 being widened all the way to Lexington. Commutes are gonna be way longer than an hour.
True, but that is a year out. So they’ll get adjusted quick and then that commute won’t seem as bad. And every interstate in Columbia will be under construction at that point. 26/20/126 will be the biggest of them. But widening Columbia Avenue in Chapin and I-26 to three lanes to the Chapin Exit, Exit 92. I-77 being widened. I-20 being widened all the way to Lexington. Commutes are gonna be way longer than an hour.
I just like to make people aware of such things because there are many people I have met for whom an hour commute each way, five days a week would be a deal breaker, especially in a metro a little under a million people. There is a lot more to consider when choosing a place to live than taxes or schools. Different people value different things and that's why I think its great that the Columbia area has so many different options!
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