Workforce Population
Workforce,
Richland County has a winning combination of skilled talent, an educated workforce, and reputed higher education institutions.
- 429,702
Total Population - 36.2
Median Age of Population - 246,972
Labor Force Within 45 Minutes - #1 state for movers and consistently among
the top 5 (U-Haul Growth State rankings) - Among the largest talent pools
in South Carolina
Greg Hilton
Every day, more and more young professionals and creatives and young entrepreneurs are moving into Richland County and helping the county to reinvent itself.
Brian Kokal
W.B. Guimarin’s success is a reflection of the region we are proud to call home here in South Carolina. Richland County provides our team with a highly capable and motivated workforce that shares our values of always improving oneself, being a trusted partner, and overall being driven and proud of the work we accomplish. Located in an area with strong support for continued education in the trades, WBG is building upon that mindset. We have a growing and successful apprenticeship program to ready the next generation for a rewarding and lifelong career within the new construction and service markets for commercial HVAC & plumbing. Columbia is a place where community and industry coincide. The area’s affordable cost of living, ready accessibility to outdoor spaces, and sense of belonging create an ideal area for not just building careers - but lives and families.
Jody Chastain
Richland County offers an incredible blend of offerings for companies looking to grow and thrive—an abundant, highly skilled workforce, a collaborative and pro-business environment, and a community where people genuinely want to live and work. We’ve had strong support from Richland County leadership, and they understand our vision and help accelerate it. The quality of life here is unmatched, and the potential for continued growth—both for Ritedose and for the region—is truly exciting. We’re proud to be building the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing right here in Columbia, South Carolina.
Mike Reeves
We’ve placed it here because this is a great place to become part of the community, there’s a wonderful employee base here, great opportunities for our business and our employees and particularly for our customers.
Talent Pipeline
Richland County offers a diverse mix of
skilled talent helped by our workforce
experts and training programs.From our top-ranked higher education institutions to our K-12 training programs, Richland County is preparing workers for careers of today and tomorrow. Our educated population, coupled with the presence of military bases within the county and nearby, provides plenty of highly skilled talent to businesses in the area.
Workforce Development, Recruitment + Retention
Development/Recruitment Organizations
SC Dept of Employment and Workforce
Midlands Workforce Development Board
Midlands Education and Business Alliance
Retention + Attraction Partners
Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR)
SC Quantum
K-12 Programs
R2i2 (Richland School District Two)
CTE (Richland School District One, Richland School District Two, Lexington-Richland District Five)
Higher Education Institutions
Xerxes, a market-leader of fiberglass underground storage tanks, set up shop in Blythewood, South Carolina, with its first new tank production site built since the 1980s and has woven itself into the fabric of the community. Get a look inside the facility and learn how the Columbia region has been instrumental to its success.
Veterans + Military
Workforce
Our community is boosted by the presence of military bases and skilled talent exiting into the civilian workforce, providing businesses with an additional resource for workers.
Located on the eastern edge of Richland County, you’ll find the U.S. Army’s main Basic Combat Training center – Fort Jackson – graduating 45,000 basic training and 12,000 advanced training soldiers each year. Also located in the County, you’ll find McEntire Joint National Guard Base, and nearby, Shaw Air Force Base.
Targeted training programs are operated throughout the state, such as the STAYS Program and SkillBridge, to train veterans for civilian careers. Numerous career placement partners help bridge the gaps between employers, veterans, and spouses of veterans 📄, optimizing candidate recruitment and vetting.
fast facts
monthly transitions at Fort Jackson
monthly transitions at Shaw AFB
veteran population in the County is higher than that of the local MSA, SC and US
largest concentration of military veterans in SC
Top
ranked higher education institution – University of South Carolina
Top
ranked Military Friendly Community in America & a Purple Heart City – Columbia, SC
state for military retirees (repeat honoree)
state for % of veteran-owned businesses