Budgeting is tough—but sticking to one is a smart way to take control of your finances, says Adam McCann, financial writer for WalletHub.
In its 2025 ranking of the best and worst budgeters by state, WalletHub placed South Carolina at 42nd. Not the worst... but not exactly thriving, either.
The study compared all 50 states across three key areas: Spending and Debt, Credit, and Savings. South Carolina’s biggest weak spot? Non-mortgage debt as a percentage of median income—in plain English, we love buying chachkas. That might also explain our high credit utilization... meaning those cards are just about maxed out.
On the bright side—we’re doing slightly better than Georgia, which slid in at #46.
As for the best budgeters in the nation? That honor goes to Hawaii. The worst? Mississippi.
Want to see how the rest of the states stack up? CLICK HERE.
Wallet Hub did offer some tips for better budgeting:
- put at least a little bit of money aside each paycheck
- prioritize the most important expenses
- use the Island Approach - separate debt from everyday expenses
- work to pay off debt by paying at least the minimum
- put at least a small amount of money toward savings each month