Skip to content

South Carolina Retirement Income Tax Calculator

South Carolina exempts Social Security but taxes other retirement income.

South Carolina retirement income tax estimator

South Carolina exempts Social Security but taxes other retirement income.

South Carolina tax —
After state tax —
Effective state rate —

South Carolina at a glance

FigureSouth CarolinaSource
Taxes Social Security?No[2]
Top marginal rate5.21%[2]
Taxes pension income?Generally yes[2]
Cost of living index91.9[1]

[2] [1] Sources

Top marginal income tax rate — all 50 states

South Carolina highlighted. Same data as the table below, shown as a distribution so the comparison is visible at a glance.

Top marginal income tax rate — all 50 states. South Carolina is 5.21%, ranked 20 of 50. The national median is 4.55%, the highest is 13.30% (California), and the lowest is 0.00% (Wyoming). CA 13.30% HI 11.00% NY 10.90% NJ 10.75% OR 9.90% MN 9.85% MA 9.00% VT 8.75% WI 7.65% ME 7.15% CT 6.99% DE 6.60% MD 6.50% RI 5.99% NM 5.90% VA 5.75% MT 5.65% KS 5.58% ID 5.30% SC 5.21% AL 5.00% GA 4.99% IL 4.95% MO 4.70% WV 4.58% NE 4.55% OK 4.50% UT 4.50% CO 4.40% MI 4.25% MS 4.00% NC 3.99% AR 3.90% IA 3.80% KY 3.50% PA 3.07% LA 3.00% IN 2.95% OH 2.75% AZ 2.50% ND 2.50% AK 0.00% FL 0.00% NV 0.00% NH 0.00% SD 0.00% TN 0.00% TX 0.00% WA 0.00% WY 0.00%

Highlighted: South Carolina, ranked 20 of 50. Median 4.55%.

South Carolina state tax by retirement income mix

Annual South Carolina tax on each combination of Social Security and other retirement income.

Social SecurityNo other income+$10,000 other+$20,000 other+$30,000 other+$45,000 other+$60,000 other+$80,000 other+$110,000 other
$9,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$12,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$15,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$18,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$21,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$24,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$27,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$30,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$33,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$36,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$39,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$42,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$45,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$48,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731
$54,000$0$521$1,042$1,563$2,345$3,126$4,168$5,731

Worked figures for South Carolina

South Carolina values:

ProfileGrossState TaxNetEffective
$18,000 SS + $0 pension + $5,000 401k$23,000$261$22,7401.13%
$24,000 SS + $0 pension + $10,000 401k$34,000$521$33,4791.53%
$24,000 SS + $12,000 pension + $10,000 401k$46,000$1,146$44,8542.49%
$30,000 SS + $20,000 pension + $15,000 401k$65,000$1,824$63,1772.81%
$30,000 SS + $30,000 pension + $20,000 401k$80,000$2,605$77,3953.26%
$36,000 SS + $40,000 pension + $25,000 401k$101,000$3,387$97,6143.35%
$42,000 SS + $50,000 pension + $40,000 401k$132,000$4,689$127,3113.55%
$48,000 SS + $60,000 pension + $50,000 401k$158,000$5,731$152,2693.63%

How South Carolina compares nationally

On top marginal income tax rate, South Carolina ranks #20 of 50 at 5.21% — 15% above the median of 4.55%. The national range runs from 0.00% (Wyoming) to 13.30% (California).

RankStateTop marginal income tax rate
#18Kansas5.58%
#19Idaho5.30%
#20South Carolina5.21%
#21Alabama5.00%
#22Georgia4.99%

Exempts Social Securitys, ranked

Same rule structure as South Carolina:

StateTop marginal income tax ratevs South Carolina
California13.30%+155.3%
South Carolina5.21%—
Illinois4.95%-5.0%

South Carolina questions, answered with South Carolina numbers

Does South Carolina tax Social Security?▾
No. South Carolina exempts Social Security, though other retirement income is generally taxable.
What would a $65,000 retirement income cost in South Carolina tax?▾
On $30,000 Social Security, $20,000 pension and $15,000 of 401(k) withdrawals, South Carolina would take about $1,824 — an effective state rate of 2.81%, leaving $63,177.
Is South Carolina a good state to retire in on taxes alone?▾
South Carolina's top marginal rate is 5.21% and its cost of living index is 91.9. Tax is only one input — housing at a $309,000 median matters at least as much.

Other exempts social securitys

California Illinois

Last reviewed 2026-08-27. South Carolina figures only — verify with the relevant South Carolina agency before acting. How this is calculated.