Basic Information

Full Name: State of South Carolina
Capital: Columbia
Joined Union: May 23, 1788 (235 years ago)

Population (2021)

Total Population: 5.191 million people
Population Growth: +1.05% per year (2010-12)
Population Density: 162.1 people/mi²
Annual Deaths: 62520 people/yr
Annual Births: 54713 people/yr

Demographics

Race:
- White: 67.2%
- Black/African American: 26.8%
- Two or more races: 2.3%
Hispanic Origin: 5.7%
US Citizens: 97.1%

Educational Attainment (for population age 25 and older)

College Degree and Above: 37.9% (0.933 × national average)
High School Diploma: 29.1% (1.08 × national average)
Less Than High School Diploma: 12.5% (1.04 × national average)

Geographic Properties (2002)

Total Area: 32020 mi²
Land Area: 30060 mi²
Water Area: 1960 mi²
Farmland Area: 4.89 million acres
Mean Elevation: 360.9 ft
Highest Point: Sassafras Mountain, 3563 ft
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean, 0 ft

Housing (2011)

Housing Units: 2.157 million
Housing Units Change: +268361 (2000-07)
Housing Units Change Rate: +2.2% per year (2000-07)
Households: 1.759 million
People per Household: 2.655 people (2010)

Economic Properties

Number of Businesses: 360397 (2007)
Nonemployer Businesses: 295574 (2010)
Private Non-farm Businesses: 102045 (2010)

Income Statistics

Median Household Income: $53,199.00 per year (0.847 × national average)
Per Capita Income: $29,426 per year per person (0.863 × national average)
Population Below Poverty Line: 15.2% (1.13 × national average)

Crime Statistics (2019)

Total Rate of Crime: 3452 crimes/100,000 people/yr
Total Number of Crimes: 177712 crimes per year

Voting and Registration Rates (2020)

Total Voting Rate: 61.3%
Total Registration Rate: 67.7%

Public School Finance Information

Total Expenditures: $8.413 billion ($11,778 per student) (2020)
Total Revenue: $7.657 billion ($10,719 per student) (2009)
Total Debt: $9.819 billion ($13,747 per student) (2020)
Total Cash and Securities: $2.973 billion ($4,163 per student) (2020)

State Symbols

State Bird: Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
State Flower: Yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
State Tree: Sabal palmetto (Sabal palmetto)
State Mottoes: Dum spiro spero | Animis opibusque parati