SC among worst states to raise a family in 2026. Here’s where it ranks and why
There was a time when folks in South Carolina thanked God for Mississippi because they always scored worse on education rankings.
Now, according to a new survey, Mississippi and seven other states rank lower than South Carolina — Louisiana, Alabama, Nevada, West Virginia, Florida and Arizona.
South Carolina also ranks 42nd as the best place to raise a family, according to WalletHub. Massachusetts was No. 1.
WalletHub looked at 50 key metrics from a variety of sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics and Child Care Aware of America and ranked family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socio-economics.
WalletHub also looked at median annual family income, housing costs and crime rates.
South Carolina’s best ranking, No. 32, was for family fun. The state ranked 39th in health and safety and 45th for affordability.
“Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly,” Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it costs up to $320,000 to raise a child to age 18.
“In light of the expensive nature of being a parent and the responsibility it entails, it’s important to live in a city that is affordable while still providing quality health care, education, safety and opportunities for enrichment,” Lupo said.
The data includes factors such as median annual family income, housing affordability, healthcare quality, crime rates, and school performance.
The metrics included such specifics as fitness and recreational sports centers per capita, number of children who live near a park, pediatricians per capita and quality of hospitals. Other metrics were, infant mortality rate, life expectancy, climate disasters, air and water quality, violent crime, public high school graduation rate and separation and divorce rate.
South Carolina’s infant mortality rate increased in 2023 by 2.9% in the South Carolina Department of Public Health’s most recent report. In 2023, 403 infants died, compared to 392 in 2022. South Carolina has long had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation.
Also, South Carolina’s life expectancy of 73.5 years is one of the lowest in the nation, ranking 42nd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC.
Education is a bright spot. South Carolina’s public high school on-time graduation rate reached a 10-year high of 86.7% for the 2024-2025 school year. The divorce rate is declining as well.
The violent crime rate in 2024 in South Carolina was 21.6% higher, and its rate of property crime was 11.7% higher than the national average, USA Facts said.
WalletHub said Massachusetts is the best state to raise a family because it provides economic opportunities and safe conditions for children.
“The Bay State has the third-best job security in the country and the ninth-lowest poverty rate, which increases the likelihood that parents will be able to provide for their children,” the WalletHub report said.
The top 10 states were either in the Northeast or Midwest.
After Massachusetts, Minnesota ranked 2, North Dakota 3, Wisconsin 4, Nebraska 5, New York 6, Connecticut 7, New Hampshire 8, Illinois 9 and Maine 10.