In 2023, South Carolina collected $58.3 million in amusements sales taxes, placing it 22nd among all U.S. states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC).
This marked a 7.9% increase from the $54 million generated in the previous year.
For comparison, Pennsylvania topped the national rankings in 2023, collecting $2 billion in amusements sales taxes.
The State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey tracks five major tax categories and up to 25 subcategories, gathering data from all 50 state governments and their dependent agencies.
The Census Bureau notes that it defines tax classifications consistently across states, which may differ from how individual states categorize them.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, state and local governments collect a wide range of taxes to fund public programs and services. These revenues are typically allocated to areas such as transportation, education, and public safety. In 2024, state tax collections alone amounted to nearly $1.5 trillion nationwide, representing a significant part of overall government operations.
| Rank | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $1,979,329,000 |
| 2 | Illinois | $1,351,996,000 |
| 3 | Nevada | $1,330,860,000 |
| 4 | Maryland | $1,217,107,000 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $759,026,000 |
| 6 | Indiana | $730,831,000 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $406,801,000 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $405,179,000 |
| 9 | Missouri | $392,685,000 |
| 10 | Iowa | $373,106,000 |
| 11 | Ohio | $334,019,000 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $320,525,000 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $297,909,000 |
| 14 | Michigan | $277,874,000 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $218,145,000 |
| 16 | Florida | $178,424,000 |
| 17 | Colorado | $171,345,000 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $92,034,000 |
| 19 | Montana | $80,113,000 |
| 20 | Maine | $68,991,000 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $66,700,000 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $58,264,000 |
| 23 | Virginia | $46,124,000 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $45,796,000 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $43,544,000 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $31,799,000 |
| 27 | Texas | $26,403,000 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $23,776,000 |
| 29 | Alaska | $21,369,000 |
| 30 | Washington | $15,022,000 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $12,241,000 |
| 32 | Arizona | $8,152,000 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $7,817,000 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $6,241,000 |
| 35 | New York | $2,008,000 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $366,000 |
| 37 | Kansas | $298,000 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $177,000 |
| 39 | Oregon | $69,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $64,000 |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). The source data can be found here.
