South Carolina is 7th worst state for millennials in 2022, report shows. Here’s why

Living in South Carolina is tough for a millennial these days, a new report shows.

South Carolina was ranked the seventh-worst state to live in for millennials in 2022, according to a WalletHub report. To determine the most livible places, the report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 34 key metrics, ranging from average monthly earnings for millennials to their unemployment rate.

The state of Washington ranked at the top of the list, while Mississippi was at the bottom.

The report states that millennials, people currently in their mid-20s to early 40s and who have a population about 80 million strong, are responsible for 21% of all consumer spending in the U.S.

However, despite millennials’ purchasing power and educational attainment, they are economically worse off than their parents. Entering the workforce in the shadow of the Great Recession has significantly reduced their job prospects and earning potential for decades, the report states. The COVID-19 pandemic has added more financial hardship on millennials.

Below is a list of how South Carolina millennials ranked among a selection of metrics that led to the state earning its seventh place spot in the report.

Living & Working as a Millennial in South Carolina (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 32^nd – % of Millennials Living with Parents
• 22^nd – Housing Cost for Millennials
• 36^th – % of Millennials
• 44^th – Average Monthly Earnings for Millennials
• 20^th – Millennial Homeownership Rate
• 35^th – Millennial Unemployment Rate
• 45^th – % of Insured Millennials
• 25^th – % of Millennials with Depression

This is a list of the 10 best and 10 worst places for millennials to live in 2022.

Top 10

1. Washington
2. District of Columbia
3. Massachusetts
4. Utah
5. Illinois
6. Minnesota
7. Oregon
8. Wisconsin
9. Virginia
10. Colorado

Bottom 10

1. Kentucky
2. Oklahoma
3. Alaska
4. South Carolina
5. Nevada
6. Louisiana
7. Arkansas
8. New Mexico
9. West Virginia
10. Mississippi

This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Patrick McCreless

The State

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Patrick McCreless is the Southeast service journalism editor for McClatchy, who leads and edits a team of six reporters in South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi. The team writes about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.