SC one of the worst states to raise a family in 2026, ranking shows. Here’s why

South Carolina is among the worst places to raise a family in 2026, according to a recent study from WalletHub, a personal finance company.

To determine the best states for families, WalletHub evaluates each state across five key categories: health and safety, family fun, education and child care, affordability and socio-economics.

While Massachusetts, Minnesota and North Dakota are ranked the top three states to raise a family because they scored highly across all five categories, South Carolina fared pretty badly on most of them.

Here’s where S.C. landed on the list:

SC 9th worst state to raise a family

South Carolina ranks 9th on the list, right below Georgia. The only category S.C. ranked above average was the socio-economic rate.

These were the specific rankings for the five main categories:

• 34th - Family fun rank
• 39th - Health & safety rank
• 42nd - Education & child care rank
• 45th - Affordability rank
• 23rd -Socio-economic rate

S.C. also scored poorly across these other categories:

• 43rd – Percent of families with young children
• 44th – Infant-mortality rate
• 38th – Median annual family income (adjusted for cost of living)
• 41st – Violent crimes per capita
• 41st – Percent of families in poverty
• 25th – Housing affordability
• 32nd –Unemployment rate
• 28th – Separation & divorce rate

What needs to be done

While South Carolina doesn’t seem that appealing to raise a family from this ranking, it still has some merit.

“Employment opportunities also matter greatly,” said Cassandra Chaney, a professor at Louisiana State University. “In states with higher resignation rates, such as Delaware, Alaska, South Carolina, Montana, and Wyoming, workers often have more leverage to obtain better wages or benefits, which can make these locations appealing for families.”

To position S.C. as a premier destination for families, state leaders must refine and expand public infrastructure, ranging from education to healthcare, according to the study.

“Several factors play an important role for families in determining a suitable place to live,” said Dr. M. H. Raza, associate professor at Missouri State University. “Therefore, state authorities need to evaluate their education systems, childcare facilities, healthcare services, and overall quality of life to make them more attractive, affordable, and supportive of young families.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 6:00 AM.