43. South Carolina
> Median household income: $47,238
> Population: 4,896,146 (23rd highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.0% (10th highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.6% (11th highest)
The typical household in South Carolina makes $47,238 a year, eighth lowest of all states. However, this figure is up significantly from 2014, when the median income, adjusted for inflation, was $45,277. Like in many of the poorest states, poverty remains a major problem. South Carolina’s poverty rate of 16.6% is 11th highest of any state. The state also faces a high jobless rate. In 2015, 6.0% of workers were unemployed, the 10 highest rate nationally.
Homes values in South Carolina, at just $148,600, are more than $40,000 below the national median home value of $194,500. While the low home values mirror the state’s low incomes, they also speak to the low cost of living in the state, which on average is nearly 10% cheaper than across the nation.