Winthrop poll: SC residents struggle with grocery prices, can’t afford to eat out

Most South Carolina residents can’t afford to go out to dinner, and they’re having a hard time paying for groceries too, according to new research from Winthrop University.

The Winthrop Poll released economic and affordability figures Thursday that show residents across the state feel the economy isn’t as strong as it was a year ago — and it’s getting worse. Everything from prescriptions to vacations are difficult to pay for, the poll found.

While it’s national forces that impact inflation and similar economic factors that impact costs, people here “feel pushed to the economic brink,” Winthrop Poll director Scott Huffmon said in Thursday’s release.

“Things that may have been seen as simple pleasures in the past, such as taking an annual vacation or occasionally going out to dinner, feel out of reach for most South Carolinians,” he said.

Here are more details from the poll taken from nearly 1,500 South Carolina adult residents from April 29 to May 12:

Winthrop polls come out several times each year on timely social topics, and often include breakdowns by political affiliation.

Economic questions from past polls on issues from general financial climate to tariffs often broke down by party, depending on who was president at the time. This one doesn’t split the data by party, but instead goes deeper into topics such as grocery affordability and healthcare costs.

Winthrop University funded the poll through its Center for Public Opinion & Policy Research.

Huffmon acknowledges that local or even state politics can only do so much to curb prices on household goods.

As early voting is underway statewide for party primaries, with offices from Congress to governor to county council representatives on the ballot, he recognizes there’s always a heavy emphasis on polls of likely voters for the next election.

“Very often,” Huffmon said, “that obscures the opinions and daily struggles of the typical South Carolinian.”

This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 12:52 PM with the headline “Winthrop poll: SC residents struggle with grocery prices, can’t afford to eat out.”