Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tennessee instead of South Carolina, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years less
In South Carolina, the average life expectancy is 75 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Tennessee, that number is 74 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 13.6% more likely to have diabetes
In South Carolina, 11.0% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 12.5% as of 2022.
Economy
make 20.6% more money
South Carolina has a GDP per capita of $49,914 as of 2024, while in Tennessee, the GDP per capita is $60,177 as of 2024.
be 30.6% less likely to be unemployed
In South Carolina, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Tennessee, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 34.7% more 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 Tennessee, that number is 612 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 17.2% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In South Carolina, 2.9% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 3.4% as of 2023.
be 24.2% more likely to smoke
In South Carolina, 15.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 19.5% as of 2022.
be 12.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In South Carolina, 24.6% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Tennessee, that number is 27.6% as of 2022.
be 17.2% more likely to be food insecure
In South Carolina, 9.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Tennessee, that number is 10.9% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
