This is how much SC spends on fast food and here it ranks among the states

If you’ve eaten at a fast food restaurant lately, it’s probably no surprise to hear that prices have gone up.

But it may surprise you to learn the Bureau of Labor Statistics says prices have increased by 47% over the past decade.

That is well over the inflation rate.

WalletHub, a financial services company, took that information and compared it to the median household income in each state.

The researchers found South Carolina was No. 12 among the 50 states in spending the greatest percentage of their income on fast food at 0.41%. They looked at the price of burgers, pizza and fried chicken sandwiches.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows South Carolina’s median income was $66,818 in 2023, a 5.02% increase from the previous year. The per capita income in South Carolina was $37,993.

WalletHub ranked Mississippi at No. 1, with residents spending 0.47% of their monthly income on fast food.

“The main reason why Mississippi ranks first is that median household income: $54,915, the lowest in the nation,” WalletHub said. “For example, the same fast food purchases would only cost 0.29% of the median monthly household income in Massachusetts, which ranked at the bottom.”

The company found that fast food in Southern states is cheaper generally than in other parts of the country, but because median income is low comparatively, the costs are greater.

Eight of the top 12 were in the South.

WalletHub used data from the U.S. Census and the Council for Community and Economic Research.

“Cutting back on fast food isn’t just good for your health — it’s also good for your wallet,” WalletHub said.

New Mexico came in second, followed by Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Montana, Oklahoma, Vermont and Florida, then South Carolina.

The state with the least impact on the pocketbook from fast food was Massachusetts at 0.29%, then New Jersey, Connecticut, Utah, New Hampshire and Minnesota. The only Southern state with the least impact was Virginia at No. 43 and 0.31%

WalletHub offered these tips for saving money on fast food:

• Use coupons, available through the store’s app, online or through the mail.

• Add fast food to your budget want list and cut out expenditures that you are not as interested in.

• Don’t get delivery, which is far more expensive that picking up the food yourself.

• Eat out less often.

• Join rewards programs.

• Don’t add extra toppings, sides or desserts, or get the largest sizes of everything. This quickly runs up your bill.

This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM.