24 counties · Boom Town Index

South Carolina

Avg BTI Score
48 / 100
Population
4.6M
+1.1% avg growth
National Rank
#27 of 51

State Overview

South Carolina's economy in 2025-2026 is marked by continued population growth and significant industrial recruitment, particularly in rural areas. The state secured $9.12 billion in capital investment and over 8,100 new jobs in 2025, with more than 40% directed to rural communities across agribusiness, automotive, energy, and wood and paper products sectors. This expansion is attracting new residents, with North Carolina and foreign countries being the top sources of inbound migration.

The housing market is experiencing a period of adjustment, with a slight dip in average home values in late 2025, suggesting a move towards more sustainable growth rather than a crash. Columbia is projected to see a 7.2% price growth in 2026, making it a strong market, while Greenville and Charleston are expected to see decreases in sales but modest price growth. Infrastructure projects, such as the Carolina Crossroads initiative and the 2026 Pavement Improvement Plan, are underway to support this growth and improve transportation across the state.

Median Household Income
$61,343
State median across 24 counties
Median Home Value
$196,600
Income-to-home ratio: 0.32
Building Permits
43,953
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
6.7 / 10
#16 of 49 · USDA scale

South Carolina Counties

24 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Darlington County 93 F +3.5% -0.1% -0.6% +8.9% 3.2x +2.1% 0.3 14x
02 Florence County 89 F +2.4% +3.6% -0.2% +8.1% 2.7x +3.3% -0.6 10x
03 Orangeburg County 87 F +1.2% +8.5% -0.9% +7.8% 2.9x -1.1% 0.2 7x
04 Sumter County 85 D +2.3% +4.0% -0.3% +10.1% 3.2x +0.0% 0.5 8x
05 Laurens County 80 C -0.4% +2.9% +0.5% +11.4% 4.0x -7.3% -0.3 10x
06 Cherokee County 80 D -1.3% +5.5% -0.0% +13.8% 3.8x -5.6% -0.3 10x
07 Oconee County 78 C +2.9% +3.3% +1.1% +7.3% 3.7x +2.1% 3.5 12x
08 Aiken County 75 D +1.8% +2.7% +1.1% +9.8% 4.0x +1.8% -0.0 11x
09 Spartanburg County 63 D +1.3% +3.8% +2.2% +7.5% 3.6x +2.2% 0.5 12x
10 Kershaw County 57 C +0.5% +10.1% +1.2% +8.7% 4.3x +1.8% 0.3 9x
11 Pickens County 53 B- +2.1% +3.9% +1.1% +8.3% 5.5x +1.4% 3.0 11x
12 Anderson County 41 D +0.7% +3.6% +1.2% +9.8% 4.8x +1.1% 0.7 12x
13 Richland County 40 D +0.9% +4.4% +0.3% +6.6% 2.8x +1.3% 0.6 11x
14 Greenwood County 32 D +0.3% +3.0% -0.0% +6.8% 2.7x -2.6% -0.1 11x
15 Lexington County 31 C +0.7% +4.8% +1.4% +8.6% 3.8x +0.0% 1.0 10x
16 Georgetown County 30 D -0.5% +5.2% +1.0% +7.3% 4.8x -1.7% 1.5 10x
17 Dorchester County 26 C -0.5% +6.1% +1.2% +8.3% 8.4x -0.8% -1.1 14x
18 Charleston County 24 D -0.1% +4.7% +1.2% +11.3% 4.3x +0.1% 1.4 17x
19 Horry County 23 C -0.3% +4.3% +3.4% +9.5% 4.8x -2.5% 0.9 12x
20 Berkeley County 18 D -0.0% +8.6% +2.9% +10.0% 5.1x -0.7% 0.7 11x
21 Beaufort County 14 C +0.3% +2.9% +1.6% +9.5% 7.2x +0.5% 1.7 15x
22 York County 13 C+ +0.2% +4.4% +2.3% +11.0% 5.4x -1.6% 0.5 15x
23 Lancaster County 11 D +0.1% +7.6% +3.1% +7.1% 6.3x -2.6% 0.1 13x
24 Greenville County 11 C -0.2% +4.2% +1.8% +8.9% 3.5x +1.9% 1.8 13x

Capital Investment in South Carolina

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$54.3B
Total tracked investment
19,793
Jobs announced
101
Projects across 23 counties

Where the money is going

Data Centers $27.8B 51%
Manufacturing $14.8B 27%
Energy $7.7B 14%
Commercial/Residential $2.5B 5%
Education $600M 1%
Infrastructure $514M 1%
Industrial/Logistics $461M 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 York County $8.2B
    4 projects · 1,000 jobs
  2. 02 Spartanburg County $6.7B
    6 projects · 777 jobs
  3. 03 Berkeley County $6.4B
    6 projects · 1,601 jobs
  4. 04 Lancaster County $6.0B
    2 projects · 150 jobs
  5. 05 Anderson County $3.9B
    6 projects · 2,600 jobs
  6. 06 Florence County $3.3B
    5 projects · 3,159 jobs

Largest projects in South Carolina

Project County Amount Status
QTS Data Center Campus (Project Cobra)
QTS Data Centers · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 York County $8.0B Under Construction
AI Data Center (Greenfield Road & Harrisburg Pike)
CoreWeave (leased from Chirisa Technology Parks/Machine Investment Group) · Data Centers · 150 jobs
 Lancaster County $6.0B Under Construction
Redwood Materials Battery Recycling Plant
Redwood Materials · Manufacturing · 1,500 jobs
 Berkeley County $3.5B Under Construction
New Natural Gas Plant (1,365 MW)
Duke Energy · Energy · 2,200 jobs
 Anderson County $3.2B Planned
AESC EV Battery Gigafactory
AESC · Manufacturing · 2,700 jobs
 Florence County $3.1B Under Construction
Project Sparrow (AI-focused High-Performance Computing Data Center)
TigerDC · Data Centers · 50 jobs
 Spartanburg County $3.0B Proposed
Project Moc-1 (High-Performance Computing Center)
NorthMark Strategies · Data Centers · 27 jobs
 Spartanburg County $2.8B Under Construction
Cielo Digital Infrastructure Data Center Campus
Cielo Digital Infrastructure, LLC · Data Centers · 30 jobs
 Cherokee County $2.1B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

South Carolina shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

South Carolina balances growth with housing and infrastructure demands

What's driving growth

South Carolina's economic expansion is fueled by substantial capital investment, with $9.12 billion in industry recruitment during 2025. This investment has created over 8,100 new jobs, with a notable focus on rural development in sectors like automotive and agribusiness. Major employers such as First Solar in Cherokee County and Woodward, Inc. in Spartanburg County have announced significant investments.

Housing market right now

The South Carolina housing market is stabilizing, with the average home value around $302,294 as of late 2025, a slight decrease of 0.8% year-over-year. Columbia's housing market is forecast to experience a 7.2% price growth in 2026, making it a strong performer. In March 2026, home prices statewide were up 4.2% compared to the previous year, with 39,011 homes for sale.

Migration patterns

South Carolina continues to attract new residents, gaining 79.7 residents per 10,000 people in 2025, making it a leading state for domestic net migration. North Carolina was the top state for inbound movers in 2024, followed by individuals from foreign countries. The Myrtle Beach–Conway–North Myrtle Beach area led the nation in attracting new residents.

Headwinds

Economic growth in South Carolina faces challenges from a pullback in consumer spending and slower job growth in some sectors. Industries tied to international trade, such as manufacturing, retail, and logistics, have experienced flat or negative growth due to business uncertainty. Proposed legislation like House Bill 3876, which would impact short-term rental owners, could also affect tourism revenue and small business operators.

Key facts

  • South Carolina announced $9.12 billion in capital investment and over 8,100 new jobs in 2025. (South Carolina Department of Commerce, January 2026)
  • The average South Carolina home value was around $302,294 in late 2025, a 0.8% decrease year-over-year. (Vertex AI Search, November 2025)
  • Columbia is projected to see a 7.2% increase in home prices in 2026. (realtor.com, December 2025)
  • South Carolina gained 79.7 residents per 10,000 people in 2025, the highest proportion of domestic net migration. (HireAHelper Migration Report, January 2026)
  • The South Carolina Department of Transportation approved a $576 million 2026 Pavement Improvement Plan in May 2025, adding 732 miles of roadway to ongoing projects. (SCDOT, May 2025)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
15 sources
  1. sc.gov
  2. sedc.org
  3. thestate.com
  4. noradarealestate.com
  5. thestate.com
  6. scdot.org
  7. scdot.org
  8. thestate.com
  9. scdotcarolinacrossroads.com
  10. upstatebusinessjournal.com
  11. redfin.com
  12. ftportfolios.com
  13. sc.edu
  14. newslinelocal.com
  15. reason.org