Neighborhood
Forest Hills
Columbia, South Carolina US
Forest Hills in Columbia, South Carolina has a value-oriented but uneven profile, with pricing about 23% below the city median and about 2% below the state median, a gross yield of 5.7, and prices up 15.2% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 61, walkability is 47, and education is in the 10th percentile. The main strength is the combination of lower pricing and higher yield; the main risk is the elevated Red Flag score and low education percentile.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
2.84 mi²
ZIP Code
29204
County
Richland County
State
South Carolina
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$254,924
YoY+15.2%
Gross Rental Yield
5.7%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
High
61 / 100
Walkability Score
47
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
10 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
53
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
Forest Hills Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Forest Hills, Columbia.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $254,924 | +15.2% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $165/sqft | +11.1% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,207/mo | -6.6% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 5.7% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 26 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 67 | -16.3% |
Is Forest Hills Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited South Carolina crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 5.7%
Appreciating market — +15.2% sale-price YoY
Active transaction volume — 67 homes sold last period
Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)
Earthquake risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from Forest Hills's live DistrictScore metrics.
Forest Hills Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (South Carolina-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20244.2 µg/m³ Meets WHO guideline-28.6% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Forest Hills centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 1% of U.S. neighborhoods.
South Carolina Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24.0 | 4.4 | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 27.0 | 4.8 | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 28.3 | 5.0 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 30.1 | 5.1 | -8.0% |
| 2020 | 32.5 | 5.3 | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 34.6 | 5.1 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Forest Hills inherits the South Carolina figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Forest Hills
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSIndustrial odor4 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near Forest Hills: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in Forest Hills
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI47
Car-Dependent
Walkability Score
5
Grocery
5
Dining
11
Schools
1
Universities
3
Hospitals
1
Pharmacies
7
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within Forest Hills's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
Forest Hills vs Columbia vs South Carolina
How Forest Hills benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & South Carolina tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.44% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
State income tax up to 6.2%; rental income is taxed at these rates.
State Capital Gains
Capital gains taxed as income, with a 44% deduction for long-term gains.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: $1.85 per $500.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents7
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
1031 State Conformity
The state conforms to the federal 1031 like-kind exchange rules.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & South Carolina property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
Forest Hills Real Estate FAQ
Forest Hills in Columbia, South Carolina has a value-oriented profile based on the numbers provided. Pricing is about 23% below the city median and about 2% below the state median, gross yield is 5.7, and prices are up 15.2% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 61.
Neighborhoods near Forest Hills
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