29. South Carolina

The Palmetto State offers some of the best roads and water infrastructure in the nation. But K-12 education performance is weak.

Category
Score
2015 Rank
2014 Rank
Workforce 227 22 25
Cost of Doing Business 203 22 9
Infrastructure 214 14 (Tie) 14
Economy 207 18 13
Quality of Life 122 38 40
Technology & Innovation 100 35 30
Education 81 39 43
Business Friendliness 55 34 34
Cost of Living 45 21 10
Access to Capital 20 31 (Tie) 41
Overall 1274 29 24

Economic Profile

Governor: Nikki Haley, Republican

Population: 4,832,482

GDP growth: 2.2 percent

Unemployment rate (May 2015): 6.8 percent

Top corporate tax rate: 5 percent

Top individual income tax rate: 7 percent

Gasoline tax: 35 cents/gallon

Bond rating/outlook: Aaa/stable

Major private employer: Bi-Lo, Inc.

Economic profile sources: Federation of Tax Administrators, American Petroleum Institute, Moody's Investor Service, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Carolina FY 2014 CAFR

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