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HM
South Carolina•In office since 2017•Party: R

Henry McMaster

Serving as Governor of South Carolina since 2017. Evaluation based on verified public data.

Overall GradeC-
45.2 / 100
Ranked #39 of 50 nationally
At a glanceComputed from the data below — no opinions.
  • An overall grade of C- places this governor in the middle of the pack nationally — ranked #39 of 50.
  • In office 9 years — current results are fully attributable to this administration.
  • Since taking office, this governor has outpaced the national trend on 8 of 20 tracked metrics, lagged on 8, and moved with the country on 4.
  • Strongest area: Economy (A-). Weakest: Public Safety (F).
Category

Economy

100
78.6 / 100A-
Unemployment Rate
A-
3.5%
National avg 3.9%
improving faster than US
Rank 28 of 5046 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 4.4%
Category

Fiscal Health

301
66.4 / 100B
State Debt per Capita
D+
$2,300
National avg $3,580
improving slower than US
Rank 25 of 5051 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom $2,500
Rainy Day Fund
B
12.0%
National avg 14.0%
improving faster than US
Rank 41 of 5018 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 9.0%
State & Local Tax Burden
B
8.9%
National avg 11.2%
declining slower than US
Rank 8 of 5087 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 8.8%
Credit Rating
A+
100
National avg 90
on pace with US
Rank 12 of 5079 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 100
Category

Education

010
43.5 / 100C-
High School Graduation Rate
C-
84.6%
National avg 87.0%
improving with US
Rank 35 of 5031 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 83.5%
Category

Health

224
41.6 / 100D+
Age-Adjusted Mortality
D-
501 / 100k
National avg 407 / 100k
declining faster than US
Rank 41 of 5018 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 412 / 100k
Infant Mortality
D
6.881
National avg 5.628
on pace with US
Rank 40 of 5020 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 6.902
Adult Obesity
C+
35.5%
National avg 33.5%
declining slower than US
Rank 30 of 5041 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 32.4%
Adult Smoking
D+
16.2%
National avg 13.2%
improving slower than US
Rank 40 of 5020 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 20.0%
Suicide Rate
C
16 / 100k
National avg 14 / 100k
declining with US
Rank 26 of 5049 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 15 / 100k
Life Expectancy
D+
75.6 yrs
National avg 77.5 yrs
declining with US
Rank 38 of 5026 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 76.4 yrs
Uninsured Rate (Under 65)
C-
10.9%
National avg 8.6%
improving faster than US
Rank 40 of 5020 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 12.6%
Drug Overdose Death Rate
D
36 / 100k
National avg 34 / 100k
declining faster than US
Rank 33 of 5035 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 23 / 100k
Category

Infrastructure

100
60.3 / 100B-
Bridges in Poor Condition
B-
4.5%
National avg 6.6%
improving faster than US
Rank 16 of 5069 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 4.8%
Category

Opportunity

111
46.4 / 100C-
Food Insecurity
B+
12.8%
National avg 13.5%
improving faster than US
Rank 23 of 5056 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 13.9%
Poverty Rate
D
13.9%
National avg 11.5%
improving slower than US
Rank 41 of 5019 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 14.2%
Median Household Income
D
$63,623
National avg $74,580
improving with US
Rank 42 of 5016 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom $50,570
Category

Public Safety

001
18.1 / 100F
Violent Crime Rate
F
569 / 100k
National avg 380 / 100k
declining faster than US
Rank 46 of 508 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 510 / 100k
Category

Environment

001
25.6 / 100F
Drinking Water Violations
F
26.1%
National avg 44.9%
declining faster than US
Rank 15 of 4971 pct
Pace vs national trendfrom 15.2%

How this grade is built

Each metric gets two scores: where the state ranks among all 50 states (30%) and how its pace compared to the national trend during this governor's tenure (70%). Metric scores are averaged within eight equally-weighted pillars — Economy, Fiscal Health, Education, Health, Infrastructure, Opportunity, Public Safety, Environment — then the composite is curved across the cohort so grades spread A–F.

Full methodology →