South Carolina vs West Virginia
South Carolina comes out ahead of West Virginia on 458 of 801 statistics where one end is better, to 324 with 19 ties. South Carolina leads on Sports, Facts & Trivia and Health and 7 more categories. West Virginia leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Politics & Government and Law and 3 more categories.
801 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 19 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 458
- Avg. percentile
- 42
- Categories led
- 10
- Wins
- 324
- Avg. percentile
- 39
- Categories led
- 6
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | South Carolina | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,650,232 23rd of 51 | 1,764,892 39th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $69,324 43rd of 51 | $59,608 50th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.5% tied 37th of 51 | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 14.1% 42nd of 51 | 16.7% 48th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 93.7 19th of 51 | 89.5 9th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $52,463 45th of 51 | $50,051 50th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $59,280 43rd of 51 | $56,470 49th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,180 22nd of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 387.6 38th of 51 | 241.7 20th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 2,586 6th of 48 | 5,067 22nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- SportsSouth Carolina · 17 statistics
- Facts & TriviaSouth Carolina · 18 statistics
- HealthSouth Carolina · 187 statistics
- PopulationSouth Carolina · 124 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyWest Virginia · 36 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentWest Virginia · 126 statistics
- GeographySouth Carolina · 25 statistics
- EnvironmentSouth Carolina · 39 statistics
- EducationSouth Carolina · 51 statistics
- LawWest Virginia · 66 statistics
- Crime & SafetyWest Virginia · 71 statistics
- CultureSouth Carolina · 79 statistics
- TravelWest Virginia · 29 statistics
- AgricultureSouth Carolina · 17 statistics
- Tech & BusinessSouth Carolina · 47 statistics
- EconomicsWest Virginia · 294 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | South Carolina | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP Growth by State | 3.1% tied 1st of 50 | 0.5% tied 48th of 50 |
| Avg Cost per MbpsInternet Costs by State | $0.67 3rd of 51 | $1.88 49th of 51 |
| EconomyBest States to Live In | 6th 6th of 49 | 50th 49th of 49 |
| Obesity Rate - Native American and AlaskanMost Obese States | 31.8% 6th of 46 | 52.7% 46th of 46 |
| % of Personal Income Coming from Child SupportChild Support Percentage by State | 8.5% 49th of 51 | 14.4% 7th of 51 |
| Annual Conviction RateMost Corrupt States | 0.13 per 10k Government Employees tied 5th of 50 | 0.62 per 10k Government Employees 46th of 50 |
| Minimum CostBreast Augmentation Cost by State | $2,500 1st of 50 | $5,000 tied 33rd of 50 |
| % of Hate Crimes with Racial/Ethnic/Ancestry BiasMost Racist States | 60.9% 45th of 51 | 43.3% 5th of 51 |
| Student Loan Average Borrower DebtStudent Loan Debt by State | $38,414 46th of 51 | $31,690 6th of 51 |
| Consumer Affairs Overall RankGreenest States | 12th 12th of 51 | 51st 51st of 51 |
| Skin Cancer Death RatesSkin Cancer Rates by State | 1.8 tied 8th of 48 | 3 47th of 48 |
| Experienced Any Domestic Violence in Lifetime - WomenDomestic Violence by State | 30.7% 9th of 51 | 44.1% 47th of 51 |
| Hospital Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $3,417 12th of 51 | $5,724 50th of 51 |
| Personal Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $8,766 8th of 51 | $12,769 46th of 51 |
| Average Student Loan DebtDebt by State | $6,120 tied 42nd of 51 | $4,240 6th of 51 |
| Personal Freedom RankMost Libertarian States | 46th 46th of 50 | 10th 10th of 50 |
| Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 9th 9th of 50 | 45th 45th of 50 |
| 5G Max Download SpeedStates that have Banned 5G | 195.3 13th of 50 | 89.7 49th of 50 |
| Food and Health Support RankBest States to Be Homeless | 49th 49th of 50 | 13th 13th of 50 |
| Employment and Wealth Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States | 8th 8th of 51 | 44th 44th of 51 |
| Teacher's Union Rank (1=Strongest)States with Teacher Unions | 49th 49th of 51 | 13th 13th of 51 |
| NFIP Cost Difference From 2021Floods by State | 2% tied 9th of 47 | 11.0% tied 44th of 47 |
| Safety RankBest States to Retire | 41st 41st of 50 | 6th 6th of 50 |
| CAS Legal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 tied last of 48 | 3 tied 4th of 48 |
| Nurses per 1k PopulationNurse-Patient Ratios by State | 8.33 40th of 51 | 11.89 5th of 51 |
| Foreclosure RateForeclosure Rates by State | 1,041 9th of 51 | 4,054 44th of 51 |
| Depression RatesHealthiest States | 20.7 16th of 50 | 30.2 50th of 50 |
| Opportunity RankWorst States to Live in | 9th 10th worst of 50 | 43rd 7th best of 50 |
| Heroin Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 0.28% tied 14th of 51 | 0.62% 49th of 51 |
| Golf RankingBest State for Golf | 4th 3rd of 48 | 36th 35th of 48 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, South Carolina or West Virginia?
- South Carolina comes out ahead of West Virginia on 458 of 801 statistics where one end is better, to 324 with 19 ties. South Carolina leads on Sports, Facts & Trivia and Health and 7 more categories. West Virginia leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Politics & Government and Law and 3 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, South Carolina or West Virginia?
- South Carolina has a population of 5,650,232 (23rd of 51 US states) and West Virginia has 1,764,892 (39th of 51).
- How do South Carolina and West Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: South Carolina $69,324 (43rd of 51), West Virginia $59,608 (50th of 51) among US states. South Carolina ranks better.
- How do South Carolina and West Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): South Carolina 4.5% (tied 37th of 51), West Virginia 4.2% (tied 30th of 51) among US states. West Virginia ranks better.
- Where does South Carolina beat West Virginia most clearly?
- South Carolina ranks far ahead on GDP Growth by State: 3.1% vs 0.5%; Avg Cost per Mbps (Internet Costs by State): $0.67 vs $1.88; Economy (Best States to Live In): 6th vs 50th.
- Where does West Virginia beat South Carolina most clearly?
- West Virginia ranks far ahead on % of Personal Income Coming from Child Support (Child Support Percentage by State): 14.4% vs 8.5%; % of Hate Crimes with Racial/Ethnic/Ancestry Bias (Most Racist States): 43.3% vs 60.9%; Student Loan Average Borrower Debt (Student Loan Debt by State): $31,690 vs $38,414.
More matchups
Other comparisons with South Carolina or West Virginia.
- Alabama vs South Carolina
- Alaska vs South Carolina
- Arizona vs South Carolina
- Arkansas vs South Carolina
- California vs South Carolina
- Colorado vs South Carolina
- Connecticut vs South Carolina
- Delaware vs South Carolina
- Alabama vs West Virginia
- Alaska vs West Virginia
- Arizona vs West Virginia
- Arkansas vs West Virginia
- California vs West Virginia
- Colorado vs West Virginia
- Connecticut vs West Virginia
- Delaware vs West Virginia