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Data Highlights*
For more detailed findings on a variety of issues impacting the well-being
of South Carolina's children, including County-by-County findings,
please refer to our 2023 Data Reference Book.
* All references for the data on this page can be found in the 2023 Data Reference Book linked above.
South Carolina was ranked 39th in the nation on overall child well-being by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book. There are 1.1 million children under the age of 18 living in South Carolina, which is 22% of the total population. The most recent available data shows that in South Carolina:
647 children died in 2022, including 68 or 11% deaths caused by guns.
Gun injuries were the number one cause of death for South Carolina children ages 1 to 17 for 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Guns were involved in 52 child homicides and 14 suicides in 2022.
from non-fatal injuries
The number of children placed in kinship care increased from 282 in Jan. 2019 to 886 in Dec. 2022.
Less children are placed into congregate care, 833 in Jan. 2019 and 460 in Dec. 2022.
11,751 students were identified as homeless in public school districts for the 2021-2022 school year.
750,564 or 67% of children were enrolled in Medicaid in 2022.
31,234 children received mental health services provided by DMH in 2022.
322,085 COVID-19 cases were reported among children under 18 from Mar. 2020 to Dec. 2022.
S.C. child death rate (Ages 0-17): 67.4 per 100,000 children
National child death rate:
48.5 per 100,000 children
S.C. child motor vehicle accident death rate (Ages 0-17):
5.5 per 100,000 children
National child motor vehicle accident death rate:
3.3 per 100,000 children
S.C. child homicide death rate (Ages 0-17):
5.5 per 100,000 children
National child homicide
death rate:
3.0 per 100,000 children
Children are waiting years on waitlists for DDSN waivers. 17,121 individuals are on the wait list for the Intellectual Disabilities and Related Disabilities waiver and 13,109 individuals are on the wait list for the Community Supports Waiver. 20,363 of these individuals are children under 21.
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