“A lot of people notice when you succeed, but they don’t see what it takes to get there.”
As the Gamecock women’s basketball team heads to the Final Four, coach Dawn Staley’s words ring true on many levels. In the game of economic development, our team-first approach – Team South Carolina – has helped us notch many impressive wins, transforming our state into a global industry leader with boundless opportunities.
Tasked with more than just recruiting industry to the state, the heart of our mission at S.C. Commerce is to improve the quality of life for South Carolinians in all corners of our state. One recent indicator of our state’s livability is from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, which report that since 2011, per capita personal income in South Carolina increased more than 39%. This growth shows that the citizens of our state are better positioned financially than they were a decade ago.
Averaging 170 new residents each day, it’s clear that people and companies are taking notice. Even with the curveball the coronavirus threw in 2020, people are flocking to the Palmetto State to live and work. In fact, South Carolina was the second most popular state to move to during 2020 according to a study by United Van Lines.
Although these positive trends can be attributed to more than just our economic development efforts, it does show that as a state, we are going in the right direction.
To circle back to Coach Staley’s quote, we are winning and the world has taken notice. But it’s the many people and partners working each and every day behind the scenes – as a team – who are making it happen. At the end of the day, Team S.C.’s goal is simple, but critical: create opportunities for South Carolinians by promoting job creation, economic growth and high quality of life.