The means test in South Carolina: median income

The official median income for South Carolina, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for South Carolina. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.

1 person
$64,808
2 people
$83,761
3 people
$95,672
4 people
$116,314
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Are you below the South Carolina median?

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in South Carolina. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$64,808
  • 2 people$83,761
  • 3 people$95,672
  • 4 people$116,314
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

South Carolina bankruptcy courts and divisions

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. South Carolina has one bankruptcy court for the whole state; your county decides the division: https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/bankruptcy-court-divisions

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina

Divisions: Columbia, Charleston, Greenville/Spartanburg (clerk's office in Columbia)

Clerk's phone: (803) 765-5436

Court's self-help page

What you can keep in South Carolina

In South Carolina you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): $80,125 per debtor in your home (or a co-op or a burial plot for you or a dependent).

Car or other vehicle: $8,000 in one motor vehicle, per debtor.

Wildcard (any property): Up to $8,000 of any unused part of the homestead, vehicle, household goods, jewelry, cash or tools exemptions, used on any property.

Exemptions in South Carolina

In nearby states

  • North Carolina: 1 person $67,117 · 2 people $84,384 · 3 people $101,535 · 4 people $116,737
  • Georgia: 1 person $68,478 · 2 people $84,965 · 3 people $101,479 · 4 people $123,481
  • Virginia: 1 person $78,491 · 2 people $101,171 · 3 people $123,159 · 4 people $144,826
  • West Virginia: 1 person $63,908 · 2 people $68,592 · 3 people $92,050 · 4 people $93,672
  • Tennessee: 1 person $63,979 · 2 people $82,846 · 3 people $97,511 · 4 people $109,585
  • Alabama: 1 person $64,321 · 2 people $77,451 · 3 people $92,698 · 4 people $106,740

What to do now in South Carolina

  1. Gather your income

    Use pay stubs and benefit letters for the 6 full months before you file.

  2. Do the official first step

    The official first step is Official Form 122A-1.

  3. If you are above the median

    Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.

Free legal help in South Carolina

Questions about the means test in South Carolina

What is the homestead exemption in South Carolina?

$80,125 per debtor in your home (or a co-op or a burial plot for you or a dependent). The total for all owners of one home is capped at $160,250.

How do I find my bankruptcy court in South Carolina?

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. South Carolina has one bankruptcy court for the whole state; your county decides the division: https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/bankruptcy-court-divisions

What income passes the means test in South Carolina?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $64,808; 2 people: $83,761; 3 people: $95,672; 4 people: $116,314; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Is there free bankruptcy help in South Carolina?

South Carolina Legal Services (free representation if you qualify by income), Bankruptcy Ask-A-Lawyer (monthly free phone consultation, Bankruptcy Court with the S.C. Bar) and S.C. Bar: Talk to a Lawyer for Free (email advice for income-eligible people).

Keep reading about South Carolina