Columbia Senior AdvisorRichland County holds the City of Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, Blythewood, Eastover and the unincorporated communities of Northeast Richland and Lower Richland, with about 434,956 residents in 2025 Census estimates and most of the Midlands' hospital beds.
Because so much of the county's licensed care carries a Columbia address, we break it down by part of the city and by town below. Richland is one of the four counties in the Central Midlands aging region, which also runs the regional ombudsman program.
How many seniors and licensed care options does Richland County, SC have?
Richland County had about 72,777 residents aged 65 and older (16.7% of 434,956), including 6,654 aged 85 and older, on July 1, 2025, and DPH lists 37 senior-serving CRCFs and 13 nursing homes there.
| Found in Richland County | Not found in Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed with a local address (DPH) | Assisted living (CRCFs): 37, Nursing homes: 13, Adult day care: 9, Home health agencies: 8, Hospice programs: 13, In-home care providers: 220 | — |
| No local license on file | — | Hospice houses |
| Secured Alzheimer's units | 11 buildings | — |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age (July 1, 2025).
Where is licensed senior care located inside Richland County?
Of Richland County's 37 senior-serving CRCFs, 26 have Columbia mailing addresses in the four areas we map and 11 are in the county's towns and rural communities.
Who helps seniors and caregivers in Richland County, SC?
Older adults in Richland County are served by the Central Midlands Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging in Columbia ((803) 376-5390), which handles information and referral, in-home services assessments, the regional long-term care ombudsman program and SHIP Medicare counseling.
Its services include information and referral, assessments for in-home services, the regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, family caregiver support, legal assistance, advance directives and SHIP Medicare counseling. Licensing complaints go to DPH Healthcare Quality at 1-800-922-6735, and suspected abuse of an adult at home to DSS Adult Protective Services at 1-888-227-3487. Prisma Health SeniorCare PACE-Midlands (formerly Palmetto SeniorCare) serves Richland County.
Which hospitals serve Richland County seniors?
DPH's list shows 5 general hospital campuses in Richland County run by Prisma Health and MUSC Health, plus inpatient rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospitals; most nursing home and rehab referrals start with a discharge from one of them.
- MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown (Columbia, 258 licensed beds)
- MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center-Northeast (Columbia, 74 licensed beds)
- Prisma Health Baptist (Columbia, 352 licensed beds)
- Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge (Columbia, 76 licensed beds)
- Prisma Health Richland (Columbia, 641 licensed beds)
