Feel Richer? S.C. Real Personal Income Rises

The state's real personal income grew by 1.9 percent in 2011, while the average rate nationwide grew 2.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Wednesday.

The Greenville-Mauldin-Easley metropolitan area reported a rise in real personal income per capita of $33,500 in 2011, compared with $33,200 in 2010. Anderson reported real personal income per capita of $30,500 in 2011, up from $30,300 in 2010. And Spartanburg saw real personal income per capita rise to $31,100 in 2011, compared with $30,700 in 2010.

Real personal income per capita in South Carolina was $31,700, up slightly compared with $31,400 in 2010. The national average was $36,500 in 2011 and $31,400 in 2010.

While the state's rise in real personal income, which is individual income adjusted for inflation, was less than impressive, it also costs less to live here. Taking into account the costs of goods and services in the state, South Carolina had the nation's 16th-lowest cost of living.