14.6%
Poverty Rate
2023
Historical data
Coming soon
Long-run charts for this indicator are on the way.
Compared to the United States
| Indicator | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty Rate | 14.6 | 12.5 |
National ranking
South Carolina ranks #9 of 49 states by poverty rate.
| #1 | New Hampshire | 7.2% |
| #2 | Utah | 9% |
| #3 | Minnesota | 9.3% |
| #4 | Connecticut | 9.6% |
| #5 | Hawaii | 9.6% |
| #6 | Arkansas | 9.6% |
| #7 | Mississippi | 9.6% |
| #8 | Alabama | 9.6% |
| #9 | South Carolina | 9.6% |
| #10 | West Virginia | 9.6% |
| #11 | Nebraska | 9.6% |
| #12 | Maryland | 9.6% |
| #13 | Iowa | 9.6% |
| #14 | Idaho | 9.6% |
| #15 | Kansas | 9.6% |
| #16 | New Jersey | 9.7% |
| #17 | Colorado | 9.7% |
| #18 | Washington | 10% |
| #19 | Virginia | 10.2% |
| #20 | Massachusetts | 10.4% |
| #21 | Wisconsin | 10.7% |
| #22 | Rhode Island | 10.8% |
| #23 | Delaware | 11.4% |
| #24 | South Dakota | 11.4% |
| #25 | Maine | 11.4% |
| #26 | Illinois | 11.6% |
| #27 | Pennsylvania | 12% |
| #28 | California | 12% |
| #29 | Vermont | 12 |
| #30 | Oregon | 12.1% |
| #31 | Indiana | 12.2% |
| #32 | Nevada | 12.2% |
| #33 | Arizona | 12.2% |
| #34 | Montana | 12.4% |
| #35 | Florida | 12.7% |
| #36 | Missouri | 12.7% |
| #37 | North Carolina | 12.8% |
| #38 | Michigan | 13.2% |
| #39 | Ohio | 13.4% |
| #40 | Georgia | 13.5% |
| #41 | Tennessee | 13.6% |
| #42 | New York | 13.9% |
| #43 | Texas | 14% |
| #44 | Oklahoma | 15.2% |
| #45 | Kentucky | 16.4% |
| #46 | New Mexico | 18.2% |
| #47 | Louisiana | 18.9% |
| #48 | Wyoming | 20% |
| #49 | Alaska | 24% |
Overview
South Carolina's poverty rate stood at roughly 14.6% in 2023, higher than the U.S. average of about 12.5%. Poverty remains most concentrated in the rural Pee Dee and Lowcountry regions, even as urban corridors like Charleston and Greenville see rising incomes.
Did you know?
- Several rural counties in South Carolina's 'Corridor of Shame' along I-95 have poverty rates exceeding 20%.