State relocation profile · Federal data
South Carolina
Cost of living, fair-market rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare for South Carolina from federal sources.
- 93.7
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,155
- 2BR rent / mo
- $66,429
- Median salary
- 52.4
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, South Carolina ranks #22 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (52.4/100, D), with its strongest marks in safety and childcare.
- #22 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 52.4
- Life Score · D
- 93.7
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $66,429
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: environment (6/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), South Carolina ranks #22 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 93.7 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,155/mo, median salary $66,429; Life Score 52.4/100 (D), strongest in safety and childcare.
Signature: BEA RPP 93.7 sits mid-pack (#19 of 51 states); cost is not the extreme signal here.
Purchasing power sits mid-band: BEA RPP 93.7 between corpus terciles 93.3 and 100.7. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,155/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $66,429.
Composite Life Score 52.4/100 (D) sits mid-pack (#22 of 51).
Metro book is dense (8 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet SC · South Carolina 52.4/100 · D · #22 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-SAFETY · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-MID #22/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.2 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 93.7
- LEAD-SAFETY Lead · safety
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Utah (+ 0.2 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around South Carolina
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest South Carolina on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
South Carolina childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for South Carolina (infant $7,732/yr leads the book).
South Carolina Life Score breakdown
South Carolina composites to 52.4/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #22 of 51.
South Carolina - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Safety
Safety
96 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
77 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
64 /100
- Rent
Rent
54 /100
- Schools
Schools
44 /100
- Wages 22
Wages
22 /100
- Environment 6
Environment
6 /100
What this shows South Carolina's strongest dimensions are safety and childcare; its weakest among scored dims is environment at 6/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near South Carolina on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to South Carolina on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in South Carolina
Explore detailed relocation data for 8 metropolitan areas in South Carolina. South Carolina contains 8 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Charleston-North Charleston, Columbia, Florence and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Charleston-North Charleston metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
South Carolina cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; South Carolina wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.