15 of the 187 Medicare-certified nursing homes in South Carolina (8%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 8 of the 15 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. Nurse staff turnover runs 34.4%, 11.5 points lower than the 45.9% across all homes there. Spartanburg Hospital For Restorative Care Snf in Spartanburg grades highest at A (92 out of 100).
How government-run homes in South Carolina compare
This group set against every nursing home in South Carolina, from the current CMS release.
Spartanburg Hospital For Restorative Care runs just 25 certified beds, and its staffing reflects that small, hospital-linked setup: 6.13 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 59% above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips about 17% below its own weekday level, and annual turnover sits at 47.8%, a bit above the 45.8% national figure, worth asking about if consistency matters to you. The inspection record is otherwise clean: one deficiency total, none at harm or jeopardy level, none abuse-related, with the most recent inspection on November 19, 2025. Government ownership, five stars across health inspections, quality measures, and staffing.
C M Tucker Jr Nursing Care Center, the state-run home in Columbia, runs its nursing hours well above what most homes manage, about 66% more direct nurse time per resident than the national average, and its staff tends to stay, with turnover roughly a quarter lower than typical. That's real. But look at the inspection record and a different picture shows up: six deficiencies on file, three of them serious enough to put residents in harm's way, two tied to abuse, plus nearly $60,000 in fines and a health inspection rating near the bottom. The last full look was April 2025. The quality and staffing scores don't cancel out what inspectors found.
Veterans Victory House runs 220 certified beds as a state-run home, and its inspection record is the strongest thing about it: a 5-star health inspection rating with just four deficiencies on file, none of them causing harm or involving abuse. Staffing tells a more mixed story. At 3.61 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 7% under the national average of 3.86, and weekends run roughly 14% lighter than its own weekdays. The tradeoff is retention, 34.6% turnover beats the 45.8% national figure, so the aides and nurses here tend to stick around longer than elsewhere. The last inspection was May 2026.
Kershaw Health Karesh Long Term Care sits at 132 certified beds in Camden, run by the county rather than a chain. The staffing numbers are the strongest part of the picture: 4.06 nurse hours per resident day, about 5% above the national average, with a 5-out-of-5 staffing rating. Turnover is 28.8% against a 45.8% national average, which suggests people stay. But weekends run roughly 12% thinner than weekdays, and the inspection record carries five deficiencies, two of them at harm or jeopardy level, plus one $19,460 fine. The last inspection was September 2025. Good daily coverage, thinner weekends, and a harm-level citation are the real story here.
John Edward Harter Nursing Center is a 44-bed county-owned home in Fairfax, and its staffing is the story here: 5.32 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 38% above the national average of 3.86. That matters more than most numbers on a page, because direct care time is what families actually feel. Weekend staffing dips about 7% below its own weekday level, so ask how that plays out on a Sunday. The inspection record is light, two deficiencies total, none at the harm level, no abuse citations, with a recent survey in June 2026. County ownership under a city or county government isn't common, and it tends to mean less pressure to chase profit. Two straight 4/5 marks on inspections and quality measures back that up.
Saluda Nursing Center runs a county-owned home of 176 beds, and its staffing is the strongest part of the picture, 4.49 nurse hours per resident day, about 16% above the national average, with a 5/5 staffing rating. Turnover sits at 17.9%, well below the 45.8% national figure, which matters for consistency of care. Weekend coverage dips roughly 11% below weekday levels, worth asking about. The concern is inspections: a 1/5 health inspection rating, 10 deficiencies on record including 2 at harm or jeopardy level and 2 abuse-related, plus $16,984 in fines. The most recent inspection was April 2025. Quality measures land at 3/5. Staffing is genuinely good here; the inspection record is the real question.
Musc Health Mullins Nursing Home runs on a state-owned, 92-bed model with staffing that lands a bit under the national average, 3.68 nurse hours per resident day against 3.86, and weekends thin out about 10% below its own weekday levels, so coverage does dip at times. What stands out in the other direction is turnover: 27% against a national 45.8%, meaning the people who work here tend to stay. The health inspection record carries 14 deficiencies, three of them at the harm level, none abuse-related, with the most recent look in May 2025.
Lake Moultrie Nursing Home runs on a hospital-district payroll, which shows up in the turnover number: 28.4% against a national average near 46%, so the aides and nurses here tend to stay. The trade-off is coverage. At 3.59 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 7% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 12% below its own weekday staffing. Inspectors cited nine deficiencies, two serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy and one tied to abuse, with a single fine of $11,196 on record. The most recent inspection was March 12, 2026. Stable staff, thinner weekend coverage, and a citation history worth asking about directly.
Palmetto Patriots runs a state-owned home in Gaffney with 52 beds and nurse staffing at 5.56 hours per resident day, roughly 44% above the national average of 3.86. Weekend coverage dips about 10% below its own weekday levels, which is worth asking about if your family visits or calls on Saturdays and Sundays. The current inspection record shows zero deficiencies, none at the harm level, and no abuse citations, though nine fines totaling $30,147 appear on the books from earlier. Its last inspection was April 2026, so the record is recent. State ownership tends to mean steadier funding and public accountability, and the staffing number is the real story here.
Veteran Village runs well above the national average for nurse staffing, 5.61 hours per resident day against 3.86 nationally, roughly 45% more hands-on time, though weekend coverage dips about 10% below its own weekday level. The inspection record is mixed: six deficiencies, including two at the harm or jeopardy level and one abuse-related, with twelve fines totaling $47,631. State government ownership and a February 2026 inspection give you recent, current information to work from. The staffing number is genuinely strong; the harm-level and abuse findings on the current record are the parts worth asking about directly before you decide.
Richard M Campbell Veterans Nursing Home runs 220 certified beds in Anderson under state government ownership, and its health inspection record is genuinely strong, a 4/5 star rating with the last full inspection in December 2025, so nothing here is stale. The catch is staffing: 3.43 nurse hours per resident day sits about 11% under the national average, and weekends drop roughly 20% below what the home itself staffs on weekdays, which is when families tend to visit and notice. Turnover at 42.1% is slightly better than the national 45.8%, but six deficiencies sit on the current record, including two at the harm level and one tied to abuse.
Woodruff Manor runs on thin nursing coverage, 3.32 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends get even leaner, dipping about 8% below the home's own weekday numbers. The inspection record is where the real concern sits: 14 deficiencies, four of them serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, one tied to abuse, and $45,240 in fines across four penalties. Turnover at 40.6% is somewhat better than the 45.8% national figure, and the quality and staffing ratings both land at 4 out of 5. But a 2-out-of-5 inspection rating and that many harm-level findings carry weight a higher quality score can't offset.
Ellen Sagar Nursing Center runs 113 beds in Union under hospital-district ownership, and its staffing sits at 3.36 nurse hours per resident day, about 13% under the national average of 3.86. Weekends dip roughly 8% below its own weekday coverage, which is worth asking about if your family member needs steady care on Saturdays and Sundays.
The inspection record shows 13 deficiencies, two of them serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, though none related to abuse. That last inspection was recent, in March 2025, so the picture is current rather than stale. Quality measures score well; staffing is where this home is thin.
Lakelands runs on county money, and the staffing numbers show it: 4.23 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 9% above the national average, with turnover at 41.8%, better than the 45.8% typical elsewhere. Weekend coverage dips about 9% below its own weekday pace, worth asking about if you're planning visits then. The inspection record is clean: two deficiencies total, none at harm or jeopardy level, none abuse-related, and the most recent look was April 2026. What pulls the quality measure rating down to 1 out of 5 is the piece families feel day to day, weight loss, falls, pain, infections, so ask to see that data before deciding.
C M Tucker Jr Nursing Care Center in Columbia runs on state government ownership and a big staff, 5.20 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, though weekends drop about 17% below its own weekday level. What that staffing buys is a spotty record: 24 deficiencies on file, seven serious enough to put residents in harm's way, three tied to abuse, and four fines totaling $244,929. The last inspection was in May 2025, so the picture is current. High direct-care hours coexist here with repeated, sometimes dangerous, compliance failures, a split worth weighing carefully if you're choosing a place for someone.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in South Carolina?
There are 15 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in South Carolina, 8% of the 187 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In South Carolina they average 4.53 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 3.84 for all nursing homes in South Carolina, a difference of +0.69 hours. Staff turnover averages 34.4% against 45.9%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in South Carolina?