SC among 5 worst states to raise a family in 2023, new report says. Where it ranks and why

Patrick McCreless
Photo: Business Wire

South Carolina is the fifth worst state to raise a family in the U.S. this year, a new report finds.

Starting a family and raising children can be a tall order even under the best of circumstances. However, high inflation last year has made the endeavor more challenging. And then there are many factors to consider when choosing where to raise a family, from income tax rates to education systems and housing costs.

WalletHub, a major personal finance website, has ranked all 50 states in its new report on worst and best states to raise a family in 2023.

South Carolina was only ranked higher than Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and Mississippi in the report.

To determine the worst states to raise a family, the report compared the 50 states across five key categories: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability and socio-economics. Those categories were evaluated using 51 relevant metrics, from median family income to housing affordability and the unemployment rate. Data was pulled from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Here is a list of where South Carolina ranked among the most significant metrics that helped determine its total ranking in the report.

  • 43rd — Percentage of families with young children

  • 34th — Child care costs (adjusted for median family income)

  • 39th — Infant mortality rate

  • 37th — Median annual family income (adjusted for cost of living)

  • 44th — Violent crimes per capita

  • 39th — Percentage of families in poverty

  • 22nd — Housing affordability

  • 34th — Separation and divorce rate

  • 37th — Percentage of residents 12 years old and older who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19

What state you’re living in can influence your child’s development and family’s quality of life, Megan McClelland, endowed director of the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families at Oregon State University, said in a Wallet Hub press release.

“Children’s development and a family’s quality of life are influenced by a state’s commitment and support of child care, education, and family support policies because those policies provide stronger systems of care and education,” McClelland said.

Here are the 10 worst states to raise a child in 2023.

  • Mississippi

  • New Mexico

  • West Virginia

  • Louisiana

  • South Carolina

  • Alabama

  • Arkansas

  • Oklahoma

  • Georgia

  • Arizona

Here are the 10 best states to raise a child in 2023.

  • Massachusetts

  • Minnesota

  • New York

  • North Dakota

  • Vermont

  • New Hampshire

  • New Jersey

  • Nebraska

  • Iowa

  • Connecticut

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