State comparison
California vs South Carolina: which state is better to live in?
South Carolina costs a median household about $5,000 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,333 a year against $5,609 in California.
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 6 categories
South Carolina
Moderate tax burden · COL index 93
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: California vs South Carolina
California has a graduated income tax topping out at 13.3%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,375 a year. South Carolina has a graduated income tax topping out at 6.2%, which works out to 3.9% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,920 a year. South Carolina wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 0.43% in South Carolina (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $1,333, so South Carolina has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 7.43% in South Carolina; South Carolina is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,957 a year in California, $5,915 in South Carolina. South Carolina is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and South Carolina's is 93, where 100 is the national average; South Carolina is about 53% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $310K in South Carolina (Zillow, 2024), a $480K gap in South Carolina's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $1,350 in South Carolina.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $2,300 in South Carolina, so California is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 540 in South Carolina (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); California is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 8% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 2,730 in South Carolina, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 75.5 in South Carolina (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.7-year edge for California. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and South Carolina's 38th, so California scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 13.1% in South Carolina, which favors California. California expanded Medicaid and South Carolina did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and South Carolina's 40th, 20 places apart in California's favor. South Carolina runs a school-choice voucher program; California does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election California went to Harris by 20 points and South Carolina went to Trump by 13 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; South Carolina has permitless carry and a grade of F, so California regulates guns more tightly and South Carolina is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in California and banned with narrow exceptions in South Carolina, and marijuana is legal for adults in California and medical only in South Carolina as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in California and $7.25 in South Carolina.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and high in South Carolina (hurricane, tornado, flood), so South Carolina is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 34 in South Carolina (under 50 is good), favoring South Carolina.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
6
California
9
South Carolina
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or South Carolina better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. South Carolina on taxes ($5,915 a year for a median household against $10,957); South Carolina on everyday costs (index 93 against 142); California on safety (499 violent crimes per 100,000 against 540); California on schools (ranked 20th against 40th).
Which is cheaper, California or South Carolina?
South Carolina is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 93 against 142. The median home is $790K in California and $310K in South Carolina (2024). On state and local taxes South Carolina saves a median household about $5,000 a year.
Does California or South Carolina have lower taxes?
South Carolina. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,957 a year in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax) and $5,915 in South Carolina ($2,920 income tax, $1,333 property tax on the median home and $1,662 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or South Carolina?
California, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 540 in South Carolina; property crime is 2,027 against 2,730.
Which has better schools, California or South Carolina?
California. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and South Carolina 40th. South Carolina also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is California or South Carolina better for retirees?
South Carolina is friendlier to retirees on paper. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; South Carolina does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,609 a year in California and $1,333 in South Carolina.