State profile
South Carolina Cost of Living Comparison
South Carolina's 2024 price level is 93.749, 6.25% below the national level, and its owners pay some of the lowest property taxes in the country, a median $1,251 a year.
Updated
93.749South Carolina all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 19 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | South Carolina | Wisconsin | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 93.749 | 94.095 | −0.346 points |
| Rent price level | 80.490 | 79.312 | +1.178 points |
| Home value | $259,000±$1,421 | $266,500±$1,051 | −$7,500 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $1,148±$11 | $1,106±$6 | +$42 |
| Household income | $69,324±$570 | $77,485±$455 | −$8,161 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $1,251±$7 | $3,792±$12 | −$2,541 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in South Carolina scales to $4,015 in Wisconsin at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
South Carolina: light property taxes, a heavy rent burden
South Carolina is easy on owners and harder on renters. The median real estate tax paid ranks 46th of 51 and owners without a mortgage report median monthly costs of $448, also rank 46. Renters, though, spend 31.1% of income on gross rent, the 11th-highest share, because the two-bedroom median of $1,148 (rank 31) meets a median household income of $69,324 that ranks 43rd.
Prices rose early in the decade. The all-items parity jumped from 90.873 in 2020 to 93.610 in 2021, the third-largest one-year gain of any jurisdiction that year, and has crept up since to 93.749, a total gain of 2.876 points.
Every category sits in the cheaper half. Rents (80.490) rank 21st-lowest, utilities (88.303) 22nd, goods (96.339) 24th and other services (98.284) 17th. The median home value of $259,000 ranks 33rd.
The state's two big taxes are in a dead heat. General sales supplied 35.2% of fiscal 2025 state collections and individual income tax 35.1%, about $1,214 and $1,212 per resident. Total collections were $3,455 per resident, rank 40.
Real per capita personal income, adjusted for prices, is $52,463, rank 45, about 11.4% below the U.S. figure.
Both neighbours cost a little more. Georgia is at 96.293, with a two-bedroom median of $1,326, or $178 a month more; North Carolina is at 94.326 with $1,164. Wisconsin (94.095) is the nearest price level nationally.
Category price levels in South Carolina
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.749 | 19 | 6.25% below |
| Goods | 96.339 | 24 | 3.66% below |
| Housing (rents) | 80.490 | 21 | 19.51% below |
| Utilities | 88.303 | 22 | 11.70% below |
| Other services | 98.284 | 17 | 1.72% below |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $52,463 | 45 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 90.873 · 2021 93.610 · 2022 93.342 · 2023 93.477 · 2024 93.749 (+2.876 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $1,529±$7 · rank 43, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $448±$3 · rank 46
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 31.1%±0.4 · rank 11
South Carolina state tax collections, FY2025
$19.24 billion in total, $3,455 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $6.75 billion | 35.1% | $1,212 |
| General sales | $6.76 billion | 35.2% | $1,214 |
| Property | $108.7 million | 0.6% | $20 |
| Motor fuel | $1.04 billion | 5.4% | $187 |
| Other selective sales | $2.12 billion | 11.0% | $380 |
| Corporate income | $1.44 billion | 7.5% | $258 |
| Licenses | $819.1 million | 4.3% | $147 |
| Severance | not levied | ||
| Other taxes | $201.5 million | 1.0% | $36 |
South Carolina beside its neighbours
| Jurisdiction | All items | Rents | Goods | 2BR rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 93.749 | 80.490 | 96.339 | $1,148 |
| Georgia | 96.293 | 88.694 | 98.929 | $1,326 |
| North Carolina | 94.326 | 81.364 | 96.621 | $1,164 |
Beyond its two borders, the nearest 2024 all-items price levels to South Carolina:
Before you budget a move
For South Carolina, compare the ownership status and intended use of a dwelling before assuming its tax cost. The historical median taxes-paid measure is a dollar benchmark across owner-occupied units. A selected parcel still needs an assessment, applicable exemption or classification review and the actual local levies.
A Charleston-area, Columbia-area or other destination should be priced with the same household size and tenure as the origin. Obtain insurance and commuting quotes where needed. The verified price ratio is a broad goods-and-services comparison, not a guarantee that an address-specific budget changes in the same proportion.
Reviewed by the State Cost Compare Editorial Team · Review policy · Report a correction