Rock Hill offers an array of affordable choices—the proof is in the numbers!

TOTAL COST OF LIVING INDEX: 96/100

ROCK HILL HOUSING INDEX: 74.1/100

A community with an index of 100 has the same cost of living as the average U.S. city. A community with an index higher than 100 is more expensive, and a community with a lower number is less expensive. The further the number is from 100, the more or less expensive it is.

Rock Hill is less than 30 miles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), no. 5 worldwide for air traffic; CLT offers nonstop air service to 187 destinations around the globe and is home to eight major air carriers, 15 regional carriers and three foreign flag carriers. 

The Charlotte Air Cargo Center at CLT is the region's 570,000 square feet premier air cargo facility. Commended for its low fee structure and ability to accommodate all types of aircraft carriers, the cargo center houses more than 60 freight forwarders, custom house brokers, and international service providers. It also offers a full range of international support resources, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Designed as a business and industrial alternative to CLT, Rock Hill is home to the Rock Hill-York County Airport. Featuring a 5,500 feet long X 100 feet wide IFR certified runway, the airport offers quick, streamlined arrival and departure capabilities for general aviation. It also features a  7,200 square foot terminal building with a pilot lounge and shop, flight planning facilities, and a large conference room—perfect for business travelers!

Rock Hill is directly connected to Charlotte, NC, and the SC state capitol of Columbia via Interstate 77, an eight lane major thoroughfare. I-77 also connects Rock Hill to Interstate 485, which circles around Charlotte, and Interstate 85, which creates an important link to Atlanta, GA, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Rock Hill connects to the Port of Charleston via a 3 hour drive on I-77 and I-26. The port features modern terminals and a reputation for high productivity, making it a natural home for the 350+ transportation-related companies in the area. 

A full-service port terminal can be found in Greer, SC, only 80± miles from Rock Hill and 212± miles from the Port of Charleston. This port, operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority, serves as a container yard and is provided daily rail serve by Norfolk Southern. A second inland port is also being developed in Dillon, SC, located 125± miles from Rock Hill and 132± miles from the Port of Charleston. 

Located next to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the new 200 acre Charlotte Regional Intermodal Facility transfers trailers and containers between trucks and trains and is capable of 200,000± lifts per year. This facility is directly connected with other intermodal facilities at the Port of Charleston. 

Rail freight services is provided by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. 

Norfolk Southern recently opened a new terminal in Charlotte to incorporate it into its Crescent Corridor infrastructure project, which will connect the Gulf Coast with New York City for one of the most most efficient connections for intermodal cargo in the Eastern United States. 

Amtrak passenger service is also available out of nearby Charlotte. 

In 2019 The City of Rock Hill began offering free public transportation in the form of electric buses. The buses run Monday through Saturday along 4 key corridors. For more information follow the link below. 

My Ride Rock Hill – Easy | Free | Electric

The State of South Carolina administers income taxes, sales and use taxes and a franchise tax.  There is no state level tax on real or personal property and no tax, state or local, on inventories or intangibles.

Corporate Income Tax

• Annual corporate income is based on:
  1. Income allocated to SC operations and
  2. Income apportioned to SC.  The state offers a single factor sales apportionment formula. 

• A 5 percent state corporate income tax rate is applied to the sum of the two incomes. There is no local income tax.

Sales and Use Tax

• South Carolina has a 6 percent sales and use tax.  SC Counties can apply an additional 1 to 2 percent local sales and use tax.  York County has applied a 1 percent additional sales tax with the sole purpose of funding local improvements through the Pennies For Progress Program. 
  Total sales and use tax in York County is 7 percent.

• A variety of sales tax exemptions are offered for companies.

Corporate License Tax

• Businesses pay an annual fee to the SC Department of Revenue.

• The rate is $15.00 plus $1.00 for each $1,000 of capital stock and paid-in or capital surplus

• For multi-state operations, the tax is determined by the apportionment manner

The City of Rock Hill levies tax on both real and personal property. There is no local income tax in York County. City of Rock Hill taxes are administered by the York County assessor’s office.

• A local company’s property tax liability is a function of: 
  Property Value x Assessment Ratio x Millage

• For real property, the property value is determined through an appraisal. Tangible personal property is recorded at cost and then depreciated based on statutory depreciation (for manufacturers) and income depreciation (for other businesses). To ensure equitable and uniform assessment throughout the state, property involving transportation, utilities, and manufacturing are administered by the South Carolina Department of Revenue, not local government.

• Assessment ratios on manufacturing operations are 10.5 percent on real and personal property.  Commercial operations are 6 percent on real property and 10.5 percent on personal property. (York County has the ability to reduce this assessment ratio through the Fee-in-Lieu of Tax incentive).

• Millage rates are adopted annually by the local governing bodies and are applied to the assessments. A mill is equal to $0.001. View York County millage rates online.

For more information about local and state taxes visit: 

South Carolina Department of Revenue
York County Auditor
York County Assessor 

Every person engaged or intending to engage in any calling, business, occupation, or profession in whole or in part within the City limits of Rock Hill, is required to pay an annual license fee for the privilege of doing business, and obtain a business license. “Business” is defined as a calling, occupation, profession or activity engaged in with the object of gain, benefit or advantage, either directly or indirectly. 

A business license is an excise tax levied on the privilege of doing business in a particular jurisdiction. It is a method of requiring a business or occupation to contribute its share in support of the government and to regulate business. It is not a sales or income tax, although it is measured by gross income.

In addition to a business license fee, the City of Rock Hill has a 2% Hospitality Tax that is required for businesses selling food and beverages prepared or modified for on-premises consumption. The tax is due on the 20th of each month. You can view more information about the Hospitality Tax in the municipal ordinance.

The City also has a 3% Accommodations Tax that is required for hotels, motels and other businesses providing accommodations to transients for consideration. This tax is also due on the 20th of each month. Visit Finance Business Tax Forms for tax reporting forms. You can also view more information about the Accommodations Tax in the municipal ordinance.

Our Planning and Development will provide personal assistance to businesses locating, building or expanding their business inside city limits through the OPEN FOR BUSINESS PROGRAM. They can provide additional information on business licenses, zoning, and building codes, as well as, help you set up your initial utility accounts.

The SC Dept. of Revenue also requires an Accommodations Tax. For more information visit www.sctax.org.

For more information on calculating your business license fee as well as other fees, please visit the City of Rock Hill's Planning and Development Department.