on $100k a year, leaving Atlanta

change
Myrtle Beach, SC cityscape

swapping out of atlanta

Myrtle Beach

sc · metro 397k

photo: Curtis Adams / pexels

a dispatch from

myrtle beach

SC

33.69°N

78.88°W

Myrtle Beach is the Grand Strand's anchor, with 60 miles of beach, more than 80 mini golf courses (it might be the mini golf capital of America), and a boardwalk packed with arcades and pancake houses. Calabash-style fried seafood is a thing. It's a family beach town, full stop, with affordable oceanfront and easy access to Charleston a few hours south.

metro397k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$3

under Atlanta, every month

Cost barely budges between Myrtle Beach and Atlanta. Pick this one for the texture of the days, not the math.
landable, recorded on the myrtle beach entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,727/mo

5% cheaper than Atlanta(vs $1,814/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$84/mo more in state tax than Atlanta

vs 5.49% in Atlanta

03after rent

$6,065/mo

$3 more than Atlanta

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$361k

7% cheaper than Atlanta

vs $386k in Atlanta

05metro size

397k

vs 6.3M in Atlanta

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

249

pleasant days a year, in myrtle beach.

Atlanta only manages 204 of those.

Atlanta hosts 10.4× more events.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

58/100

13% lower than Atlanta

vs 67/100 in Atlanta

Closest outdoor draw: Huntington Beach State Park, 15.2 mi.

·walk score®

55/100

41% lower than Atlanta

vs 93/100 in Atlanta

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

89% fewer than Atlanta

vs 217 nonstops in Atlanta

04 · see also

neighbors of myrtle beach on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

sarasota

$147/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

pensacola

$516/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

wilmington

$218/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare myrtle beach with:

SarasotaPensacolaWilmington