27. South Carolina

The Palmetto State offers relatively low costs, but K-12 school performance is generally subpar.

Top States South Carolina
Source: George Kavallines
Category
Score
2016 Rank
2015 Rank
Workforce 222 20 22
Cost of Doing Business 212 19 (Tie) 22
Infrastructure 192 21 (Tie) 14 (Tie)
Economy 182 24 18
Quality of Life 156 31 38
Technology & Innovation 106 32 35
Education 77 42 39
Business Friendliness 65 27 (Tie) 34
Cost of Living 48 19 21
Access to Capital 22 29 31 (Tie)
Overall 1282 27 29

Economic Profile

Governor: Nikki Haley, Republican

Population: 4,896,146

GDP growth: 1.9 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2016): 5.6 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 7 percent

Gasoline tax: 35.15 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa, 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, Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence

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