$100k salary, packing up from Birmingham

change
Myrtle Beach, SC cityscape

if you left birmingham

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

in our guides

#2

of 10

Sunniest affordable US cities

read the guide
#2

of 10

Affordable cities to escape the cold

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities to leave Chicago for

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities to leave Seattle for

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best small cities to live in

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities to leave Phoenix for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities to escape the heat

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to leave Miami for

read the guide
#10

of 10

Best cities to live in the Southeast

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities in the Carolinas

read the guide
#2

of 10

Affordable alternatives to Miami

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best affordable coastal cities for families

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best warm affordable coastal cities

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities to leave San Diego for

read the guide
#9

of 10

Best cities with mild winters

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$445

the monthly cost of moving past Birmingham

Myrtle Beach costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
landable, recorded on the myrtle beach entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,727/mo

23% more expensive than Birmingham(vs $1,407/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$125/mo more in state tax than Birmingham

vs 5% in Birmingham

03after rent

$6,065/mo

$445 less than Birmingham

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

04a house here

$361k

39% more expensive than Birmingham

vs $261k in Birmingham

05metro size

397k

vs 1.2M in Birmingham

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

249

pleasant days a year, in myrtle beach.

Birmingham keeps to 171 pleasant days a year.

Noticeably quieter than Birmingham. About 74% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

58/100

5% lower than Birmingham

vs 61/100 in Birmingham

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

·walk score®

55/100

30% lower than Birmingham

vs 79/100 in Birmingham

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

15% more than Birmingham

vs 20 nonstops in Birmingham

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