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