Advertisement

Move to these 5 SC counties if you want to live longer, new nationwide report shows. Here’s why

If you want to live a longer, healthier life in South Carolina, there are five counties where your chances will be the best, a new report shows.

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released its annual County Health Rankings report on Wednesday, showing the most and least healthiest counties in every U.S. state. The 2023 report reveals that counties with well-resourced civic infrastructure have higher rates of high school completion, higher household incomes, less income inequality and lower rates of children in poverty and uninsured adults.

And in these communities, people also tend to live longer, the report states.

So, which five South Carolina counties met enough of those criteria to make it to the top of the report’s rankings for the state? The top five counties are listed below.

  1. Beaufort County

  2. York County

  3. Charleston

  4. Greenville

  5. Dorchester

And if you’re curious which county was the least healthiest, Allendale came in at 46th on the list.

The new County Health Rankings report looked at a series of factors to measure civic infrastructure and participation in counties, including access to parks, school funding adequacy, broadband, voter turnout and self-reported census participation.

“Social connection is a health determinant that is not discussed enough, but research shows that being engaged in the community tends to lead to longer and healthier lives,” Maya Pack, executive director of the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health, said in a press release. “This is why IMPH is currently convening a task force of stakeholders and experts from across South Carolina to identify recommendations — such as supporting the GetConnectedSC initiative — to reduce social isolation in older adults.”

The report also offers several solutions to build civic health, such as investing in libraries, community centers and other public spaces to encourage in-person connections; expanding civic knowledge and skills through youth leadership programs and implementing voter registration and turnout initiatives to expand representation in the democratic process.

SC health trends

South Carolina health outcomes and health behaviors based on the latest state and federal data were also included in the report. Below is a list comparing some of the most important health outcome and behaviors data between South Carolina and the U.S. average.

Health outcomes/behaviors

South Carolina

U.S.

Residents in poor or fair health

16%

12%

Babies born low birth weight

10%

8%

Life expectancy

76.4

78.5

Diabetes prevalence

12%

9%

Adult smoking

19%

16%

Adult obesity

37%

32%

Excessive drinking

19%

19%

Alcohol impaired driving deaths

33%

27%

All SC county health rankings

  1. Beaufort County

  2. York County

  3. Charleston

  4. Greenville

  5. Dorchester

  6. Lexington

  7. Berkeley

  8. Pickens

  9. Edgefield

  10. Spartanburg

  11. Oconee

  12. Richland

  13. Anderson

  14. Lancaster

  15. Horry

  16. Kershaw

  17. Aiken

  18. Saluda

  19. Jasper

  20. Newberry

  21. Greenwood

  22. Georgetown

  23. Abbeville

  24. Sumter

  25. Calhoun

  26. Laurens

  27. Clarendon

  28. Florence

  29. McCormick

  30. Chesterfield

  31. Cherokee

  32. Union

  33. Bamberg

  34. Orangeburg

  35. Fairfield

  36. Darlington

  37. Barnwell

  38. Chester

  39. Colleton

  40. Williamsburg

  41. Marlboro

  42. Dillon

  43. Hampton

  44. Lee

  45. Marion

  46. Allendale