Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Alabama instead of South Carolina, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years less
In South Carolina, the average life expectancy is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Alabama, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.9% more likely to be obese
In South Carolina, 35.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Alabama, that number is 39.6% of people as of 2022.
be 16.4% more likely to have diabetes
In South Carolina, 11.0% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Alabama, that number is 12.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 53.1% less likely to be unemployed
In South Carolina, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Alabama, that number is 2.3% as of 2025.
be 14.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Carolina, 12.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Alabama, however, that number is 14.8% as of 2023.
Safety
be 12.5% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
South Carolina has a violent crime rate of 454 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Alabama, that number is 397 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 21.0% less likely to be a victim of property crime
South Carolina has a property crime rate of 2,116 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Alabama, that number is 1,671 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 17.6% less for a home
The median home value in South Carolina is $236,700 as of 2023, compared to $195,100 in Alabama as of 2023.
pay 14.5% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in South Carolina is $1,126 as of 2023, while in Alabama, it is $963 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live in an area that is 43.7% less densely populated
South Carolina has a population density of 69.1 people per sq km as of 2023. In Alabama, that number is 38.9 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 13.4% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Carolina, 24.6% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Alabama, that number is 27.9% as of 2022.
be 24.1% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In South Carolina, 2.9% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Alabama, that number is 2.2% as of 2023.
be 54.8% more likely to be food insecure
In South Carolina, 9.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Alabama, that number is 14.4% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
