South Carolina

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Population

5.08M

1.19% growth

Median Age

39.7


Median Household Income

$52,306

3.43% growth

Poverty Rate

16.6%


Number of Employees

2.24M

2.21% growth

Median Property Value

$170,800

5.56% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, South Carolina had a population of 5.08M people with a median age of 39.7 and a median household income of $52,306. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of South Carolina grew from 5.02M to 5.08M, a 1.19% increase and its median household income grew from $50,570 to $52,306, a 3.43% increase.

The population of South Carolina is 63.5% White Alone, 26.5% Black or African American Alone, and 5.79% Hispanic or Latino. 7.37% of the people in South Carolina speak a non-English language, and 97.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in South Carolina are University of South Carolina-Columbia (9,467 degrees awarded in 2017), Clemson University (6,082 degrees), and Trident Technical College (2,892 degrees).

The median property value in South Carolina is $170,800, and the homeownership rate is 69.3%. Most people in South Carolina commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in South Carolina is 2 cars per household.

South Carolina borders Georgia and North Carolina.

About the photo: Sunset on Hilton Head Island

Photo by Lee Coursey

United States

Economy

The economy of South Carolina employs 2.24M people. The largest industries in South Carolina are Restaurants & Food Services (160,857 people), Elementary & secondary schools (140,919 people), and Construction (135,469 people), and the highest paying industries are Water transportation ($119,826), Scientific research & development services ($107,314), and Offices of other health practitioners ($107,247).

Median household income in South Carolina is $52,306. Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $44,129. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$52,306

2018 value

± $631

3.43%

1 Year Growth

± 1.55%

Households in South Carolina have a median annual income of $52,306, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $50,570 in 2017, which represents a 3.43% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in South Carolina compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$59,728

Average Male Salary

± $1,565

$44,129

Average Female Salary

± $1,115

In 2018, full-time male employees in South Carolina made 1.35 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in South Carolina by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $58,374 ± $10,504

  2. White

    $51,299 ± $1,155

  3. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $40,072 ± $12,512

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of South Carolina workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.14 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in South Carolina by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.464

2018 Wage GINI

0.466

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.279% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Dorchester County, SC

  2. Beaufort County, SC

  3. York County, SC

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in South Carolina was Dorchester County, SC with a value of $66,438, followed by Beaufort County, SC and York County, SC, with respective values of $65,607 and $64,319.

The following map shows all of the counties in South Carolina colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

16.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in South Carolina (791k out of 4.75M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    384,133 ± 4,579

  2. Black

    342,247 ± 4,507

  3. Hispanic

    73,604 ± 2,174

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in South Carolina is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

2.24M

2018 Value

2.21%

1 Year growth

± 2.21%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in South Carolina grew at a rate of 2.21%, from 2.19M employees to 2.24M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in South Carolina, are Elementary & middle school teachers (61,576 people), Cashiers (58,565 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (56,909 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of South Carolina.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of South Carolina, by number of employees, are Elementary & middle school teachers (61,576 people), Cashiers (58,565 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (56,909 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, South Carolina has an unusually high number of residents working as Textile machine setters, operators, and tenders (8.12 times higher than expected), Tire builders (7.17 times), and Military enlisted tactical operations & air/weapons specialists & crew members (3.98 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of South Carolina, by average salary, are Surgeons ($295,249), Physicians ($231,996), and Legal support workers, all other ($191,272).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.24M

2018 Value

2.21%

1 Year growth

± 2.21%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in South Carolina grew at a rate of 2.21%, from 2.19M employees to 2.24M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in South Carolina, are Restaurants & Food Services (160,857 people), Elementary & secondary schools (140,919 people), and Construction (135,469 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of South Carolina, though some of these residents may live in South Carolina and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in South Carolina, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (160,857 people), Elementary & secondary schools (140,919 people), and Construction (135,469 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, South Carolina has an unusually high number of Textile & fabric finishing & coating mills (14.4 times higher than expected), Tire manufacturing (12.4 times), and Fabric mills, except knitting mills (8.89 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in South Carolina, by average salary, are Water transportation ($119,826), Scientific research & development services ($107,314), and Offices of other health practitioners ($107,247).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from South Carolina to other states, or from other states to South Carolina.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Plastics/rubber

    $17.8B

  2. Machinery

    $17.1B

  3. Electronics

    $12.6B

In 2015, the top outbound South Carolina product (by dollars) was Plastics/rubber with $17.8B, followed by Machinery ($17.1B) and Electronics ($12.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound South Carolina products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$178B

2020 Value

$244B

Projected 2045 Value

37% growth

In 2020, total outbound South Carolina trade was $178B. This is expected to increase 37% to $244B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound South Carolina trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from South Carolina to other states, or from other states to South Carolina.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. North Carolina

    $24.2B

  2. Georgia

    $14.4B

  3. Tennessee

    $6.22B

In 2015, the top outbound South Carolina domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Carolina with $24.2B, followed by Georgia with $14.4B and Tennessee and $6.22B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that South Carolina shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

89% of the population of South Carolina has health coverage, with 43.4% on employee plans, 16.4% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 2.66% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of South Carolina was $7,311 in 2014. This is a 4.15% increase from the previous year ($7,020).

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1483 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.336% decrease from the previous year (1488 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1891 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 639 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Dillon County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (20.1%). Additionally, Lee County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (42.8%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,483 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see an average of 1,483 patients per year. This represents a 0.336% decrease from the previous year (1,488 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in South Carolina in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$7,311

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,235

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,491

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,298

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in South Carolina (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.15%, from $7,020 to $7,311.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

11%

Uninsured

43.4%

Employer Coverage

16.4%

Medicaid

12.8%

Medicare

13.8%

Non-Group

2.66%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in South Carolina grew by 9.93% from 10% to 11%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in South Carolina changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Dillon County

    20.1% prevalence

  2. Williamsburg County

    19.6% prevalence

  3. Barnwell County

    18.7% prevalence

Dillon County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in South Carolina, at 20.1%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in South Carolina by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

South Carolina is home to a population of 5.08M people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 4.73% of South Carolina residents were born outside of the country (238k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of South Carolina is composed of 3.23M White Alone residents (63.5%), 1.35M Black or African American Alone residents (26.5%), 295k Hispanic or Latino residents (5.79%), 102k Two or More Races residents (2.01%), 80.6k Asian Alone residents (1.59%), 16.6k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.326%), 11.6k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.228%), and 3.69k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0725%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in South Carolina are Spanish (222,917 speakers), German (17,620 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (13,110 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

39

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.1

42

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1

In 2018, the median age of all people in South Carolina was 39.7. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 42. But people in South Carolina are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all South Carolina residents was 39.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

4.73%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

238k people

4.65%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

231k people

As of 2017, 4.73% of South Carolina residents (238k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in South Carolina was 4.65%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in South Carolina compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    62,118 ± 6,082 people

  2. India

    17,415 ± 3,234 people

  3. Germany

    13,326 ± 2,830 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 62,118 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 17,415 and Germany with 13,326.

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Citizenship

97.1%

2018 Citizenship

97.3%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 97.1% of South Carolina residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in South Carolina was 97.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in South Carolina compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    3.23M ± 2.2k

  2. Black or African American Alone

    1.35M ± 8.96k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    295k ± 13k

In 2018, there were 2.4 times more White Alone residents (3.23M people) in South Carolina than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.35M Black or African American Alone and 295k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in South Carolina as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    222,917 speakers (4.65%)

  2. German

    17,620 speakers (0.367%)

  3. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    13,110 speakers (0.273%)

7.37% of South Carolina citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in South Carolina was Spanish. 4.65% of the overall population of South Carolina are native Spanish speakers. 0.367% speak German and 0.273% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    125,597 ± 4,630

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    77,043 ± 5,862

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    58,224 ± 4,749

South Carolina has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.63 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in South Carolina awarded 58,347 degrees. The student population of South Carolina is skewed towards women, with 101,601 male students and 147,966 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in South Carolina are White (38,443 and 67.5%), followed by Black or African American (12,425 and 21.8%), Hispanic or Latino (2,082 and 3.65%), and Unknown (1,410 and 2.47%).

The largest universities in South Carolina by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Columbia (9,467 and 16.2%), Clemson University (6,082 and 10.4%), and Trident Technical College (2,892 and 4.96%).

The most popular majors in South Carolina are Liberal Arts & Sciences (4,855 and 8.32%), General Business Administration & Management (3,996 and 6.85%), and Registered Nursing (2,844 and 4.87%).

The median tuition costs in South Carolina are $21,720 for private four year colleges, and $10,700 and $20,862 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Biological Sciences

    1,542 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    1,498 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    2,662 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in South Carolina was General Biological Sciences with 1,542 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in South Carolina according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of South Carolina-Columbia

    9,467 degrees awarded

  2. Clemson University

    6,082 degrees awarded

  3. Trident Technical College

    2,892 degrees awarded

$10,700

Median In-State Public

$21,720

Median Private

In 2017, the South Carolina institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina-Columbia with 9,467 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

23,616

Degrees Awarded to Men

34,731

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 23,616 men were awarded degrees from institutions in South Carolina, which is 0.68 times less than the 34,731 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in South Carolina by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    38,443 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    12,425 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2,082 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in South Carolina were to White students. These 38,443 degrees mean that there were 3.09 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 12,425 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in South Carolina was $170,800 in 2018, which is 0.744 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $161,800 to $170,800, a 5.56% increase. The homeownership rate in South Carolina is 69.3%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in South Carolina have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in South Carolina is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$170,800

2018 Median

± $1,570

$161,800

2017 Median

± $1,398

In 2018, the median property value in South Carolina grew to to $170,800 from the previous year's value of $161,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in South Carolina compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In South Carolina the largest share of households have a property value in the $200k - $250k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$52,306

Median Household Income

± $631

1.93M

Number of Households

± 22,961

In 2018, the median household income of the 1.93M households in South Carolina grew to $52,306 from the previous year's value of $50,570.

The following chart displays the households in South Carolina distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in South Carolina distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In South Carolina the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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Rent vs Own

69.3%

2018 Homeownership

68.7%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 69.3% of the housing units in South Carolina were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in South Carolina compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

23.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in South Carolina have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.01% of the workforce in South Carolina have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in South Carolina compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    81.4%

  2. Carpooled

    9.44%

  3. Worked At Home

    4.99%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in South Carolina was Drove Alone (81.4%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.44%) and those who Worked At Home (4.99%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in South Carolina distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in South Carolina have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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