New report highlights factors influencing the health of South Carolinians
March 25, 2025
New data explores the population health of South Carolinians and the impact of physical, mental, and social well-being on life expectancy, among other factors. The annual report released by County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R), a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, highlights counties that are among the healthiest in the state, including Beaufort, and the least healthy, including Dillon. The new data and resources are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) serves as the lead dissemination agent in South Carolina for the annual County Health Rankings Report, which explores more than 80 health-related measures impacting the health of South Carolinians. The report provides a data snapshot and analysis of what’s working well and areas for improvement for nearly every county in the U.S., including length and quality of life, health infrastructure and social and economic factors.
“Community conditions that support health and well-being are often distributed unevenly — especially in rural areas,” says Maya Pack, Executive Director of the South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health. “These conditions affect everyone, directly and indirectly, which is a key aspect of our current Maternal and Infant Health Taskforce.”
In September 2024, IMPH convened its current taskforce, Improving Maternal and Infant Health: Increasing Access to Care in Rural South Carolina, with experts from across South Carolina to develop a plan for the state to address maternal and infant health outcomes through improved access to care in rural areas.
“When families live in rural areas, it limits their access to the care they need and leads to long-term economic challenges for communities across the state,” says Pack. “Inefficiencies in health care for moms and children affect the state’s broader economic growth because poor health outcomes reduce the mother’s ability to return to the workforce and can have long-term effects on the children from birth.”
The 2025 County Health Rankings include insights into county-level measures that play a key role in the health of mothers and their families. The data shows that South Carolina has a higher percentage of infant mortality, child mortality and low birth weight compared to the national average. Additionally, South Carolina has fewer childcare centers than the national average, with five centers per 1,000 children.
To learn more about the Improving Maternal and Infant Health: Increasing Access to Care in Rural South Carolina Taskforce, visit https://imph.org/taskforces/maternal-and-infant-health/.
For more information on the CHR&R report, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.
About The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health
The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) is an independent, nonprofit organization working to collectively inform policy to improve health and health care in South Carolina. IMPH provides nonpartisan, evidence-based information to guide policymakers in making impactful health policy decisions. Learn more at https://imph.org.
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About the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides local communities with data on more than 90 health-influencing factors such as housing, education, jobs and access to quality health care. The Rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
About the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute advances health and well-being for all by developing and evaluating interventions and promoting evidence-based approaches to policy and practice at the local, state and national levels. The Institute works across the full spectrum of factors that contribute to health and equity. The Institute leads the work on the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. For more information, visit http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu
