COLUMBIA, S.C. — Traffic congestion is getting worse. Utilities race to generate energy. Public safety departments and resources are strained. These are the concerns of South Carolina leaders as the state’s population swells.

Between July 2024 and 2025, South Carolina grew more than any other state in the country by percentage, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday.

“U-haul says that South Carolina is the number one destination for their moving trucks and vans,” said Gov. Henry McMaster during a press conference earlier this month. “That means everybody wants to be here.”

South Carolina’s population swelled 1.5% between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, beating the growth rate of Idaho, North Carolina and Texas. While birth and death rates remain tight, people moving into the state drives growth in South Carolina, according to the state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office.

Population growth in the U.S. slowed overall, however, including in South Carolina. Last year, South Carolina had a growth rate of 1.8%, while the U.S.’s population grew 0.5%, down from 1%, the previous year. Plummeting international immigration rates contributed to the decline, according to a news release.

South Carolina came in fifth for number of new people to the state, adding nearly 80,000 new residents.

Growth means the state will need to update its infrastructure, including roads, bridges and energy sources. It’s also led some state lawmakers to reconsider policies that could encourage more people, including retirees, to come to South Carolina.

“I think none of us is opposed to growth,” said state Sen. Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, earlier this month. “But you want to make sure the growth is coming the right way, and that it is put in the right spots so that it doesn’t overwhelm and destroy the things that South Carolinians enjoy.”

Not every county in South Carolina is growing, said state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs executive director Frank Rainwater. While urban areas and some coastal counties have seen their populations rise, more rural counties are projected to decline.

“There are two different South Carolinas here,” Rainwater said. “South Carolina is doing well, but not every county is doing well.”

Here are a few ways South Carolina’s governor and General Assembly are planning for population growth this year:

McMaster requests growth study

McMaster wants to study how South Carolina’s government resources and infrastructure will need to accommodate population growth over the next two decades.

“We know that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” McMaster said. “So we want to measure it as best we can, to see how we need to react and what we can expect.”

In his version of the state’s budget, McMaster requested the state’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office search for an outside agency to study growth in South Carolina. The study would look at how steady growth would impact infrastructure and government resources like roads, energy, public safety and health care, McMaster said.

“Left unaddressed, our state may face future problems with water and sewer access, traffic congestion, road and bridge repair, demand for electric power generation, public safety, school overcrowding and health care availability,” McMaster said. “So we’ve got to do some thinking.”

Alleviating congestion and fixing the roads

Hiking registration fees for electric vehicles and allowing express lanes could be avenues for the state to raise money to fix wear-and-tear from more drivers and alleviate congestion.

Finding new ways to make infrastructure improvements, including adding lanes and fixing roads and bridges, is a priority for some in the General Assembly. A House panel signaled higher fees for EVs could be an option, and a Senate bill also would raise registration fees and allow for congestion lanes. They also want to reduce regulations and take over some of the permitting process to speed up construction times.

Keeping the lights on

South Carolina’s utilities are also planning for growing power demand from both new residents and data centers. To meet demand, state-owned utility Santee Cooper will likely spend $10 billion on new generation over the next decade, CEO Jimmy Staton told lawmakers in December.

State lawmakers made sweeping changes to how energy projects are permitted and allowed Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy to build a massive natural gas plant in Colleton County, all with the intention of bolstering power production. Duke Energy is also planning to build a slightly smaller natural gas plant in the Upstate.

Guardrails on tax relief

People who want to retire in South Carolina will have to wait five years to be eligible for the state’s proposed property tax relief.

While some states may look for ways to attract more people, a panel of South Carolina lawmakers wanted to keep new residents from taking advantage of a planned $150,000 homestead exemption.

“We need to have some protection where people don’t just move into the state and end up taking advantage of it, and our citizens have been the ones paying the bill,” said state Sen. Shane Martin said Jan. 13.

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