Economic Insights

See Auto Industry Impacts at the National, State, and Congressional District levels.

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State Facts

Autos Drive South Carolina Forward

Industry Impact

101.5K
101.5 Thousand total auto jobs in South Carolina
3.61%
3.61% depend on the auto industry for jobs
$5.5B
Total Labor Income Annually
$7.1B
Total Car Sales in 2018
218.8K
Total New Cars Sold in 2018
Multi-industry contribution analysis of the economic impact of automotive manufacturing, selling, repairing, renting, and additional maintenance modeled using IMPLAN economic analysis data software, 2018 data year; compiled by Auto Alliance with data provided by IHS Markit, sales figures represent new vehicle registrations between January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018.

Tax Revenue

$581M
total state tax revenue
5.50%
% of state tax revenue
$111.9M
new vehicle sales taxes
$100.3M
sales tax on auto parts and services
$925.2M
vehicle use taxes (including gas taxes), licenses and fees
$20.4M
corporate profits tax
$76.8M
state income taxes

Registrations

4.9M
Registered

By Body Style

  • Cars 2,131,443 (43.47%)
  • CUVs 790,468 (16.12%)
  • SUVs 623,230 (12.71%)
  • Pickups 1,076,803 (21.96%)
  • Vans/Minivans 280,858 (5.73%)

By Powertrain

  • Gas 4,733,949 (96.56%)
  • Diesel 117,496 (2.4%)
  • Hybrid 47,198 (0.96%)
  • Electric 1,946 (0.04%)
  • Plug-In Hybrid 2,213 (0.05%)
The South Carolina average age of vehicles is 12.9 years.

Figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by IHS Markit as of December 31, 2018.

New Purchases

218.8K
Vehicles Sold

By Body Style

  • Cars 68,029 (31.1%)
  • CUVs 77,615 (35.48%)
  • SUVs 20,425 (9.34%)
  • Pickups 42,388 (19.38%)
  • Vans/Minivans 10,296 (4.71%)

By Powertrain

  • Gas 208,648 (95.38%)
  • Diesel 6,026 (2.75%)
  • Hybrid 2,909 (1.33%)
  • Electric 689 (0.31%)
  • Plug-In Hybrid 481 (0.22%)

Auto-related Activity at Ports

Economic Activity From Past Decade

  • 70.5B 70.5 Billion Total Imports
  • 37.6B 37.6 Billion Total Imports

Economic Activity from 2018

  • 8.1B 8.1 Billion Total Imports
  • 4.3B 4.3 Billion Total Imports

Compiled by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by USA Trade Online, figures represent port activity over the past decade and between January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018.

Fueling

  • Gasoline Stations 2211
  • Electric Charging Stations 234
  • Biodiesel Stations 1
  • Compressed Natural Gas Stations 7
  • Hydrogen Stations 1
  • Liquefied Natural Gas Stations 1
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stations 45

Compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center, figures represent fueling stations as of April 9, 2019.

Consumers
$32.7K
Average MSRP Per New Car
$50.6K
Median Household Income
$4.2K
Median Monthly Household Income
$497.62
Median Monthly New Car Payment
11.81%
Car Payment As Percent Of Monthly Income

Commuting to Work

  • Drive Alone to Work (81%)
  • Carpool to Work (9%)
  • Take Public Transportation (0%)
  • Other (8%)

Figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by IHS Markit, U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2017 and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Median Monthly New Car Payment computed for a 60-month loan based on MSRP with 20% down and an APR of 5.36%.

Automaker's Facilities

BMW Group Location Employees
BMW Group Information Technology Research Center Greenville SC 92
BMW Manufacturing Co. Greer SC 11000
BMW Performance Center Greer SC 5
BMW of North America Training Center Greer SC
BMW of North America Continental Distribution Center Spartanburg SC
Ford Motor Company Location Employees
Ford Credit Greenville Business Center Greenville SC 225
Mercedes-Benz Location Employees
Mercedes-Benz USA Ladson SC 10
Mercedes-Benz Vans Ladson SC 1150
Subaru of America Location Employees
NASI - South Carolina (Boeing Charleston) North Charleston SC 0
Volvo Location Employees
Volvo Car U.S. Operations Ridgeville SC 1500