34. South Carolina

Steady growth is offering some economic hope, but poor health makes for an undesirable quality of life.

South Carolina flag
Viktorcvetkovic | iStock | Getty Images
Category
Score
2019 Rank
2018 Rank
Grade
Workforce 238 28 21 C-
Economy 220 22 17 B-
Infrastructure 169 30 35 C
Cost of Doing Business 200 24 17 B+
Quality of Life 117 41 42 F
Education 87 29 26 C
Technology & Innovation 77 32 31 D+
Business Friendliness 68 35 28 D+
Access to Capital 36 26 28 C
Cost of Living 25 26 27 C
Overall 1237 34 30 -

Economic Profile

Governor: Henry McMaster, Republican

Population: 5,084,127

GDP growth (Q4 2018): 1.6%

Unemployment rate (May 2019): 3.5%

Top corporate tax rate: 5%

Top individual income tax rate: 7%

Gasoline tax: 20.75 cents/gallon

Bond rating (Moody's/S&P): Aaa, stable/AA+, stable

Major private employers: Bi-Lo, SCANA

Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute (excluding 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence