Gavin Newsom’s South Carolina Trip: A Tax Tale to Humble California’s Governor

California’s Sky-High Taxes Dwarf South Carolina’s Lean Rates. Will Newsom Pitch Higher Taxes to Palmetto State Voters?

🕒 4-minute read

Bringing “San Francisco Values” To South Carolina

Governor Gavin Newsom’s trip to South Carolina today, part of his not-so-subtle campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, offers a chance to compare tax burdens that hit real families every day. California, under the leadership of Newsom, leans on heavy taxation to fund expansive government programs that often fail to deliver results. South Carolina, by contrast, embraces a lighter touch that respects the hard-earned dollars of working families. This comparison reveals a stark divide, one that should give Newsom pause as he pitches his big government vision to a state that values fiscal restraint and understands that government does not create prosperity—people do.

Newsom’s South Carolina Itinerary

Newsom’s two-day tour, today and tomorrw, includes eight stops across rural South Carolina counties like Florence, Marion, and Pickens, areas filled with resilient communities that have weathered economic challenges and natural disasters without waiting for government bailouts. He is engaging voters in intimate settings—cafes, churches, and community centers—to discuss federal support for disaster relief and infrastructure. This move, framed as grassroots outreach, barely masks his 2028 presidential ambitions, targeting a key primary state where voters still believe in self-reliance and limited government.

CA v SC on Income Taxes: A Crushing Gap

California’s state income tax rates go up to 12.3 percent, with a 1 percent millionaire’s surcharge pushing the top rate to 13.3 percent for high income filers South Carolina’s top rate, reduced to 6.2 percent in 2024, applies to income above $17,330 for all filers.

To illustrate the contrast: A California couple earning $350,000 in taxable income pays approximately $29,418 in state income tax—money that could have funded their children’s college education, helped aging parents, or grown a family business. In South Carolina, the same couple—assuming they claim only the standard deduction and pay the flat top rate across the bracket structure—would owe roughly $20,650. The actual number may be lower depending on deductions and bracket relief. Still, the tax gap remains substantial and represents real money that families could use to build their futures. California’s progressive system punishes success and entrepreneurship, while South Carolina’s flatter structure offers meaningful relief to families trying to get ahead.

CA v SC on Sales Taxes: California Makes Everything Cost More

California’s state sales tax rate is 7.25 percent, with local additions pushing combined rates as high as 11.25 percent in some cities. South Carolina’s state rate is 6 percent, with a combined average of around 7.5 percent. Shoppers in California face a steeper hit at the register every time they buy groceries, clothing for their children, or basic necessities, as local governments stack on extra levies to fund bloated budgets. South Carolina’s lower rates reflect a commitment to letting residents keep more of their money for the things that matter most to their families.

CA v SC on Property Taxes: California “Wins” for More Expensive

South Carolina’s average effective property tax rate is 0.46 percent, among the nation’s lowest. California’s average effective rate, despite Prop 13, is around 0.71 percent. A $500,000 home in South Carolina incurs about $2,300 in annual property taxes; in California, it is roughly $3,550. For families already stretching to afford homeownership, this difference represents months of groceries or a family vacation.

A Lesson for Newsom

Instead of exporting California’s big-government policies to South Carolina, Newsom should study their approach and learn why families are fleeing his state for places that respect their wallets and their freedom. South Carolina’s lower taxes foster economic freedom and accountability, creating an environment where small businesses can thrive and families can prosper without bureaucratic interference. California, drowning in high taxes and persistent budget deficits, needs limited government more than ever. Lord knows Sacramento could use a dose of restraint to tame its bureaucratic sprawl that serves politicians rather than people. But perhaps Newsom will campaign nationally on bringing California’s higher taxes to the entire nation, promising to take even more from working families to fund his progressive pet projects (maybe he can walk them through his High Speed Rail boondoggle). That may resonate with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and AOC—but not with taxpayers who understand that government largesse comes at the expense of individual liberty and family prosperity.