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

FULL LIST: 2015 TOP STATES FOR BUSINESS

Latest Special Reports

  • Nashville skyline at dusk.

    The pandemic and the success of startup culture have sparked the emergence of new hubs for businesses outside of traditional power centers of New York, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco. These Cities of Success each have used unique characteristics – pop culture influence, clusters of great universities, friendly geography or forward-thinking local governments – to attract major companies and nurture an entrepreneurial community around them.

  • The Workforce Wire provides news and information on what employers and executives are doing to adapt to the ever-changing workplace.

  • More than ever, the hope for a sustainable world has gained traction among the next generation of businesses, policymakers and investors. CNBC’s Sustainable Future focuses on how smart investments, new ideas and tech innovation can generate commerce — and a world — with staying power.