South Carolina was the fastest-growing state in the U.S. from July 2024 to July 2025, with population up 1.5% and a net gain of 66,622 domestic migrants. The largest single-year increase happened between July 2022 and July 2023, when the state added over 100,000 residents. More than 80% of post-2020 growth is concentrated in 10 counties, while expanding healthcare and tech sectors in cities like Columbia and Greenville are major drivers. The pattern aligns with a national shift of people and income away from higher-tax, higher-cost states.
South Carolina Tops U.S. States in Domestic Migration, Posting Fastest Population Growth
Aerial view of Charleston(Getty Images)
South Carolina has become the fastest-growing state in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures. Between July 2024 and July 2025, the Palmetto State's population increased by 1.5%, driven largely by a surge of domestic migrants moving in from other states.
Migration Numbers and Recent Trends
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) reported a net gain of 66,622 domestic migrants between July 2024 and July 2025 — meaning that many more people moved into the state than left it. Although the state has seen steady growth over the past five years, DEW notes that the single largest annual jump occurred between July 2022 and July 2023, when more than 100,000 new residents were added.
The South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 16, 2023.
Where Growth Is Concentrated
Population gains are not evenly spread across the state. Research shows that more than 80% of South Carolina's population increase since the 2020 Census has been concentrated in just 10 counties: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Lancaster, Lexington, Greenville, Horry, Richland, Spartanburg and York. Much of the growth is focused around urban hubs and fast-growing suburbs.
What’s Driving the Influx
Economists point to a mix of economic opportunity and affordability as the main draws. Rapid expansion in healthcare and technology sectors — especially in cities like Columbia and Greenville — alongside a milder climate and lower overall cost of living have made South Carolina an attractive destination for workers and families leaving higher-cost, higher-tax states.
President and CEO Mark Wilson recently told FOX Business that the Sunshine State "leads the nation by a country mile [in income migration]." "States like New York, Illinois, and California are losing over 1 million dollars an hour of income," Wilson told FOX Business in an interview.
National Context
South Carolina's rise reflects a broader national pattern of migration from high-tax, high-cost states to lower-tax, more affordable states. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), using the latest available IRS filing data from 2022, finds that states such as Texas and Florida are primary beneficiaries of this shift, while lower-tax Southeastern states including North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are also gaining residents.
'Florida continues to lead the nation in income migration, attracting substantial wealth each hour,' said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, illustrating the broader flow of income and residents toward lower-tax states.
'As states diverge on tax policy, IRS migration data provides direct feedback from taxpayers,' said Andrew Wilford, NTUF Director of State Policy.
Implications: The concentrated nature of growth underscores planning challenges and opportunities for infrastructure, housing and local labor markets. As employers expand in healthcare and technology, policymakers and local leaders will need to manage growth to sustain quality of life and economic resilience.
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