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US State economic profile
South Carolina - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for the Palmetto State
In 2026, the state of South Carolina has a population of 5,657,502, having grown an annualized 1.7% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 3rd out of all 50 US states by growth rate. South Carolina's gross state product (GSP) in 2026 reached $293.7b, with growth of 3.6% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in South Carolina employed a total of 2,476,730 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 2.7%. The top three sectors by total employment are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2026 was 4.5%.
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State economic profile
South Carolina Economic Overview
$293.7b
Gross state product
5,657,502
Population
509,103
Businesses
What is South Carolina's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
In 2026, South Carolina's GDP reached $293.7b, representing an increase of 3.6% from 2025. South Carolina's GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 3.2% over the five years to 2026. Moreover, South Carolina's trailing five-year GDP growth ranks it 4th out of all 50 US states.
State GDP, or Gross State Product, is a measurement of a state's output, or the sum of value added from all industries in the state. It is a common indicator used to track the health of a state's economy.
You can track trends in South Carolina's GDP, and compare them to the national average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
South Carolina Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for South Carolina's state economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers state industry research reports on over 30,000 industries across all 50 states in the US, including 635 industries in South Carolina.
What are South Carolina's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in South Carolina are Automobile & Light Duty Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, New Car Dealers and Health & Medical Insurance, which generated $26.4b, $18.8b and $17.8b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Automobile & Light Duty Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $26.4b |
| 2. | New Car Dealers | $18.8b |
| 3. | Health & Medical Insurance | $17.8b |
| 4. | Hospitals | $17.4b |
| 5. | Commercial Banking | $13.4b |
| 6. | Supermarkets & Grocery Stores | $13.2b |
| 7. | Gas Stations with Convenience Stores | $11.3b |
| 8. | Pharmacies & Drug Stores | $10.0b |
| 9. | Electric Power Transmission | $9.5b |
| 10. | Warehouse Clubs & Supercenters | $9.5b |
State economic profile
Top Companies in South Carolina
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in South Carolina. IBISWorld offers benchmarking data and tools on over 5,000 companies in the US.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in South Carolina by Employment
The largest companies by employment in South Carolina are Walmart, Prisma Health and BMW, which employed 37,387, 28,761 and 11,000 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Walmart | 37,387 | 1.5% |
| 2. | Prisma Health | 28,761 | 1.2% |
| 3. | BMW | 11,000 | 0.4% |
| 4. | Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin | 9,000 | 0.4% |
| 5. | Lowes Companies | 8,651 | 0.3% |
| 6. | Boeing Co | 7,800 | 0.3% |
| 7. | United States Postal Service | 7,640 | 0.3% |
| 8. | Amazon.Com | 6,000 | 0.2% |
| 9. | Home Depot | 5,750 | 0.2% |
| 10. | Target | 4,363 | 0.2% |
State economic profile
South Carolina Sector Statistics
In South Carolina, certain sectors drive a higher share of state GDP and employ more workers than others. However, simply looking at raw numbers doesn't always tell the whole story. Factoring in the current year growth percentage, in addition to the annualized growth percentage over the past five years, will give you a deeper understanding of the economic situation.
What is South Carolina's GDP by Sector?
The Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Manufacturing and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services sectors contributed the most to South Carolina's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 43.8% of state GDP.
GDP trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are contributing the most value-add to the state economy, in addition to how the state economy is evolving over time.
| Sector | GDP | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 51,131,221,699 | 6.8% | 7.3% |
| Manufacturing | 34,619,702,883 | -0.2% | -0.1% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 25,601,976,928 | 10.4% | 11.5% |
| Retail Trade | 21,861,264,401 | 5.3% | 4.8% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 21,570,671,434 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| Wholesale Trade | 13,860,721,083 | -1.0% | -1.3% |
| Finance & Insurance | 12,328,484,284 | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 11,633,861,976 | 4.3% | 3.9% |
| Construction | 11,535,018,804 | -0.9% | -1.3% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 10,364,409,320 | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Information | 10,354,578,757 | 5.1% | 5.3% |
| Utilities | 6,997,643,119 | 6.2% | 6.7% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 6,341,311,799 | 0.5% | -0.1% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5,546,432,988 | -0.2% | 0.5% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,321,656,451 | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 2,530,617,489 | 10.6% | 11.7% |
| Educational Services | 2,097,119,312 | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 1,022,712,878 | -3.7% | -4.1% |
| Mining | 529,596,187 | -1.5% | 0.4% |
What is South Carolina's Employment by Sector?
The Retail Trade, Healthcare & Social Assistance and Manufacturing sectors contributed the most to employment in South Carolina in 2026, representing a combined 36.6% of state employment.
Employment trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are growing or contracting most rapidly relative to the state economy as a whole.
| Sector | Employment | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 346,986 | 1.7% | 2.4% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 295,761 | 2.0% | 3.0% |
| Manufacturing | 264,239 | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 259,858 | 1.7% | 3.6% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 250,282 | 1.7% | -0.6% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 175,037 | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| Construction | 149,372 | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 135,588 | 6.9% | 6.7% |
| Educational Services | 127,984 | 0.1% | 1.8% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 112,474 | 1.6% | 3.2% |
| Finance & Insurance | 96,333 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Wholesale Trade | 78,521 | 1.0% | 1.4% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 72,519 | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Information | 46,101 | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 42,524 | 1.5% | 4.7% |
| Utilities | 13,755 | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 7,520 | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| Mining | 1,876 | 0.8% | 2.8% |
State economic profile
South Carolina Employment Trends
2.5m
Employment
4.5%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting South Carolina?
The state of South Carolina employs 2,476,730 people in 2026, which ranks it 23rd out of all 50 US states. Employment in South Carolina has grown at an annualized rate of 2.4% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.7%. Major sectors by employment in South Carolina include Retail Trade, Healthcare & Social Assistance and Manufacturing, which employed 346,986, 295,761 and 264,239 people in 2026, respectively. South Carolina's unemployment rate is 4.5% in 2026, which ranks it 29th out of all 50 US states. South Carolina's unemployment rate has trended upwards at a rate of 2.8% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the US economy as a whole.
Employment trends indicate the degree of tightness or slack in labor markets, in addition to the overall strength of an economy. Faster employment growth typically indicates a strong and growing economy, while lower unemployment tends to imply tightness in labor markets.
You can track unemployment trends in South Carolina, and compare them to the US economy, using the chart below.
$99.6k
Per capita disposable income
What is South Carolina's Per Capita Disposable Income?
Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that the average person in an economy has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. South Carolina's DPI in 2026 was $99.6k, compared to the US average of $156.5k, which places it 27th out of all 50 US states.
Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator as trends in disposable income are indicative of the level of aggregate demand, the state of labor markets and the financial strength of households.
You can track trends in South Carolina's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the US average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
South Carolina Construction & Building Trends
$9,262.6tn
Nonresidential construction
$15.0tn
Residential construction
47,076
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a state’s economy?
In South Carolina, non-residential construction was $9,262.6tn in 2026, which ranks it 33rd out of all 50 US states. Residential construction was $15.0tn in 2026, which places South Carolina 41st out of all 50 US states. The number of building permits issued in South Carolina in 2026 was 47,076, representing a -0.9% annualized growth rate between 2021 and 2026.
Trends in the construction sector are important because it creates jobs, income and tax revenue for a state. In addition, construction sector activity impacts other sectors in its supply chain, including manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, transportation, and real estate, rental and leasing services. Therefore, construction trends are important indicators of the health of an economy.
You can track trends in the number of building permits issued in South Carolina, and compare it to trends in the number issued in the United States as a whole, using the chart below.
State economic profile
South Carolina Population Statistics
Which Counties in South Carolina have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in South Carolina are Greenville County, Horry County and Charleston County, which had populations of 590,022, 444,074 and 439,250 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 590.0k | 1.9% | 10.4% |
| Horry | 444.1k | 3.7% | 7.8% |
| Charleston | 439.3k | 1.1% | 7.8% |
| Richland | 435.0k | 0.8% | 7.7% |
| Spartanburg | 387.2k | 2.8% | 6.8% |
| Lexington | 323.3k | 1.5% | 5.7% |
| York | 313.1k | 1.6% | 5.5% |
| Berkeley | 283.3k | 3.5% | 5.0% |
| Anderson | 222.3k | 1.4% | 3.9% |
| Beaufort | 209.1k | 1.7% | 3.7% |
| Aiken | 185.2k | 1.5% | 3.3% |
| Dorchester | 179.0k | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| Pickens | 140.4k | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Florence | 137.9k | 0.2% | 2.4% |
| Lancaster | 119.9k | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| Sumter | 103.5k | -0.2% | 1.8% |
| Oconee | 83.9k | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| Orangeburg | 81.9k | -0.4% | 1.4% |
| Kershaw | 75.0k | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Laurens | 70.6k | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Greenwood | 69.8k | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Georgetown | 68.3k | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Darlington | 62.0k | -0.2% | 1.1% |
| Cherokee | 57.6k | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Chesterfield | 44.7k | 0.5% | 0.8% |
State economic profile
South Carolina Demographics
In South Carolina, 34.3% of the population has a Bachelors or higher. The largest ethnic group in South Carolina is White, accounting for 62.0% of the state's population.
Education level in South Carolina
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 34.3 |
| Other | 65.7 |
Race in South Carolina
| Race | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| White | 62.0 |
| Black | 24.4 |
| Hispanic | 8.7 |
| Other | 2.6 |
| Asian | 2.3 |
South Carolina State industry reports
IBISWorld State Industry Reports help you quickly understand how an industry performs at the state level compared with the national level, with accurate and unbiased industry information with a local focus. Use this collection to:
- Discover key local industry trends
- Identify threats and opportunities at the subnational level
- Inform your business strategies and planning
See our list of 635 South Carolina industry reports.
Other states to explore
Compare South Carolina’s economy with other states in the United States.
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