Health Profile of South Carolina
South Carolina Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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C
South Carolina Below averageLess healthy than 80% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in South Carolina
- Beaufort County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Charleston County (101% of U.S. avg)
- Dorchester County (100% of U.S. avg)
- Dillon County (94% of U.S. avg)
- Allendale County (95% of U.S. avg)
- Marlboro County (95% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | South Carolina | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in South Carolina is 75.8 years, about 2.5 years shorter than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 9.6%, higher than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 19.6% of residents, higher than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
1,921,017 residents in South Carolina are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 91,123 30,483 men · 60,640 women
- 75–84 262,559 113,132 men · 149,426 women
- 65–74 537,791 249,572 men · 288,219 women
- 50–64 1,029,543 495,077 men · 534,466 women
Younger residents
1,107,149 residents in South Carolina are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 352,618 181,500 boys · 171,118 girls
- 7–12 330,250 167,943 boys · 162,307 girls
- 3–7 246,000 125,329 boys · 120,671 girls
- 0–3 178,282 92,258 boys · 86,024 girls
About 326,955 residents in South Carolina (6.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 75.8 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | South Carolina | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in South Carolina is about 26% higher than in US. The rate of obesity in South Carolina is about 16% higher than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | South Carolina | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in South Carolina is about 19% higher than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.9 million cigarettes a day, 268.4 million a month, or 3.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 98.4 million minutes a day and 35.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in South Carolina is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.47 lifetimes a day, or 901 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | South Carolina | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in South Carolina is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
South Carolina Health Compared With Nearby States
South Carolina is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 5,295,781 residents against a local median of 10,724,323. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest states, which makes South Carolina an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 10% above the local median at 39.9% against 36.3%. South Carolina has the 5th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 5,295,781 | 75.8 yrs #5/6 | 9.6% #3/6 | 39.9% #5/6 |
| North Carolina | 10,724,323 | 77.1 yrs | 9.9% | 35.8% |
| Georgia | 10,939,918 | 75.8 yrs | 12.4% | 38.0% |
| Virginia | 8,702,460 | 77.3 yrs | 6.9% | 36.3% |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | 76.1 yrs | 6.0% | 40.3% |
| Florida | 22,388,905 | 77.2 yrs | 11.5% | 33.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in South Carolina.
How healthy is South Carolina?
South Carolina has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is South Carolina one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
South Carolina ranks 41st healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in South Carolina?
People in South Carolina can expect to live 75.8 years on average, 2.5 years shorter than the US average of 78.3.
What percentage of South Carolina residents are uninsured?
9.6% of residents in South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 1.3 points above the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in South Carolina?
39.9% of adults in South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 5.6 points above the US rate of 34.3%.
What is the biggest health concern in South Carolina?
Compared with the U.S. as a whole, diabetes stands out most: the adult rate here is 14.2%, about 26% higher than the US rate of 11.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 8.9 million cigarettes a day, 268.4 million a month, or 3.3 billion a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 98.4 million minutes a day and 35.9 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in South Carolina is 75.8 years, that's roughly equivalent to 2.47 lifetimes a day, or 901 lifetimes a year.
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