South Carolina
South Carolina entered the Union on May 23, 1788 as the 8th state. South Carolina’s political story stretches from the colonial lowcountry and plantation economy through secession, Reconstruction, civil-rights struggle, and rapid modern growth in manufacturing and tourism. Today its state government is centered in Columbia and operates through a governor and a bicameral General Assembly made up of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Population5.28 million
GovernorHenry McMaster (Republican)
Date entered UnionMay 23, 1788
Government & Representation
Find Your Representatives
Elections & Voting
Demographics
Historical Trends
Economy
Issues & Accountability
Resources
Government & Representation
Use this section to understand how the state organizes executive authority, legislative power, and federal representation.
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
South Carolina’s government is organized around an elected governor and a bicameral General Assembly that includes a Senate and a House of Representatives. Columbia serves as the focal point of statewide lawmaking, budgeting, and public administration.
U.S. Senators
Each state elects two U.S. senators to represent it in the Senate.
U.S. House delegation
House seats are apportioned by population and organized by congressional district, except for at-large delegations where applicable.
Find Your Representatives
Use an address in South Carolina to identify the federal and state officials who represent that address.
Official South Carolina legislature tools
Find your South Carolina legislator
South Carolina legislature website
Elections & Voting
Use an address in South Carolina to check voter information and election resources when those tools are available.
Statewide voting links
Statewide voting links
Voting basics
- Check registration
Confirm that your voter registration is active with your state election office.
- Register/update online
Register to vote online or update your name, address, or party information when your state allows it.
- Mail registration
Download or review the mail registration process and deadlines for this state.
- In-person registration
Find out whether you can register in person before Election Day or at your polling place.
- Military/overseas voting
Access voting guidance for military members, their families, and citizens living overseas.
- Polling place finder
Look up where to vote in person and review any location details provided by the state.
Upcoming elections
Upcoming statewide elections from Google Civic appear here when they are available.
Upcoming Elections in SC
No upcoming elections for SC are available in Google Civic right now.
Population, housing, education, language, workforce, geography, and industry data for the state.
Overview
A statewide snapshot
Population5.28 million
Use these statewide indicators to get a quick picture of who lives in South Carolina and how the state is changing.
Work
Jobs, workforce, and major industries
This section combines workforce totals, labor-market context, and the major industries that employ people across the state.
Language & place
Language and geography
These charts show how residents describe the state across language spoken at home and settlement pattern.
Historical trends
These long-run charts keep the economic pressure points in one place: income, wages, rent, housing, tuition, and healthcare. Together they show how the balance between pay and basic costs has shifted over time.
Median household income
South CarolinaOfficial statewide median household income. The adjusted line converts each year into current dollars so visitors can compare purchasing power over time.
Time Frame1984–2024
ScopeState-specific trend
Percentage Change During This Time Frame+278.0%
Current dollarsInflation-adjusted dollars
$79,848$0
19841994200420142024
Minimum wage (federal context)
South CarolinaA clean state-level historical series was not available, so this chart falls back to the federal wage floor and its value in current dollars.
Time Frame1968–2026
ScopeNational context
Percentage Change During This Time Frame+353.1%
Current dollarsInflation-adjusted dollars
$15$0
1968197819881998200820182026
Federal minimum wage
South CarolinaA national context chart showing how the federal wage floor has changed and how much buying power it has lost or gained in current dollars.
Time Frame1968–2026
ScopeNational context
Percentage Change During This Time Frame+353.1%
Current dollarsInflation-adjusted dollars
$15$0
1968197819881998200820182026
College tuition cost
South CarolinaA national price index for tuition and school fees. The adjusted line removes overall inflation so visitors can see whether tuition has outpaced the broader cost of living.
Time Frame1978–2026
ScopeNational context
Percentage Change During This Time Frame+1,376.5%
Trend lineInflation-adjusted trend line
1,476.50.0
197819881998200820182026
Healthcare cost
South CarolinaA national medical-care price index. The adjusted line removes overall inflation so the chart shows the real rise in health-related costs.
Time Frame1947–2026
ScopeNational context
Percentage Change During This Time Frame+4,156.0%
Trend lineInflation-adjusted trend line
4,256.00.0
194719571967197719871997200720172026
Economy
Focus on the statewide economic picture: income, work, industry, housing costs, labor conditions, and major public companies and wage rules.
Gross domestic product
Current-dollar gross domestic product from BEA when a BEA API key is available.
State GDP$286.8B2025
GDP rank among states#24current-dollar GDP
Minimum wage
Current statewide wage rules, tipped cash wages when available, and the biggest official regional differences.
No separate state minimum wage law; employers covered by the FLSA must pay at least the federal minimum.
Federal tipped cash wage under the FLSA.
$0.25 above the current federal floor of $7.
State page highlights major official differences and coverage rules rather than every local ordinance.
Current snapshot effective
January 1, 2026
Issues & Accountability
This section organizes nonpartisan state-level resources that help people follow public decisions, review official disclosures, request records, and move from information toward civic participation.
The goal is practical accountability: clearer institutions, easier public access, and straightforward paths for people who want to understand how state government operates and how to engage it.
Transparency & public records
Public accountability starts with access. These links help people read the rules, review public information, and understand how the state says government should work.
- Official state homepageThe main statewide government homepage and agency directory.
- Open data portalOfficial statewide open-data portal or public data catalog when available.
- State constitutionRead the governing charter that defines state institutions, powers, and limits.
Money, oversight, and accountability
These resources help people follow how power is organized, how money is disclosed, and where to start when they want to monitor public decision-making.
- State legislature websiteBrowse sessions, calendars, committees, bill text, and member information.
- Legislative searchSearch legislators, bills, or legislative activity using the state’s own tools when available.
- Congressional delegation pageJump to the state page’s federal delegation section for senators and House members.
Civic participation
Accountability also depends on participation. These links make it easier for people to register, verify local information, and connect statewide systems to action in their own community.
- Secretary of state or election officeOfficial statewide election administration, rules, deadlines, and voter guidance.
- Voter registrationCheck registration, register, or update voter information when the state provides an online tool.
- Polling place finderFind polling locations or in-person voting sites when a statewide tool is available.
- Absentee or mail votingReview official absentee and vote-by-mail rules, forms, and deadlines.
- Local election resourcesFind county or municipal election offices from the statewide system.
- Find representatives by addressUse Amplified’s address search to move from statewide context to the officials who represent a specific address.
Resources
Keep the most useful statewide civic resources in one place without repeating the links already covered elsewhere on the page.
Official state resources
Use this section for the broad statewide civic resources that are not already explained in more detail elsewhere on the page.
- Official state homepageThe statewide government homepage.
- Secretary of state or election officeOfficial statewide election administration and voter guidance.
- Open data portalOfficial statewide open-data portal or public data catalog when available.
Local election and county resources
These links help visitors move from statewide information into local offices and county-level tools.
- Local election resourcesOfficial state or local pages that point visitors to county and municipal election resources.