State comparison
Florida vs South Carolina: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $1,100 a year less in state and local taxes than South Carolina, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 103 against 93).
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 5 categories
South Carolina
Moderate tax burden · COL index 93
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Florida vs South Carolina
Florida has no state income tax. 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. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 0.43% in South Carolina (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $1,333, so South Carolina has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 7.43% in South Carolina; Florida is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,766 a year in Florida, $5,915 in South Carolina. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and South Carolina's is 93, where 100 is the national average; South Carolina is about 11% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $310K in South Carolina (Zillow, 2024), a $105K gap in South Carolina's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $1,350 in South Carolina.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $2,300 in South Carolina, so South Carolina is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 540 in South Carolina (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Florida is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 40% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 2,730 in South Carolina, again favoring Florida.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 75.5 in South Carolina (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.8-year edge for Florida. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and South Carolina's 38th, so South Carolina scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 13.1% in South Carolina, which favors South Carolina. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida's K-12 schools 19th in the country and South Carolina's 40th, 21 places apart in Florida's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and South Carolina went to Trump by 13 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; South Carolina has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $7.25 in South Carolina.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and high in South Carolina (hurricane, tornado, flood), so South Carolina is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 34 in South Carolina (under 50 is good), favoring Florida.
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
5
Florida
9
South Carolina
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or South Carolina better to live in?
Florida wins more of the measures that decide a move. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $5,915); South Carolina on everyday costs (index 93 against 103); Florida on safety (387 violent crimes per 100,000 against 540); Florida on schools (ranked 19th against 40th).
Which is cheaper, Florida or South Carolina?
South Carolina is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 93 against 103. The median home is $415K in Florida and $310K in South Carolina (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $1,100 a year.
Does Florida or South Carolina have lower taxes?
Florida. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,766 a year in Florida ($0 income tax, $3,196 property tax on the median home and $1,571 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, Florida or South Carolina?
Florida, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 540 in South Carolina; property crime is 1,882 against 2,730.
Which has better schools, Florida or South Carolina?
Florida. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and South Carolina 40th.
Is Florida or South Carolina better for retirees?
Florida is friendlier to retirees on paper. Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions 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 $3,196 a year in Florida and $1,333 in South Carolina.