$100k salary, packing up from Grand Rapids

change
Myrtle Beach, SC cityscape

instead of grand rapids

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

$294

the monthly cost of moving past Grand Rapids

Myrtle Beach runs a little pricier than Grand Rapids. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the myrtle beach entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,727/mo

7% more expensive than Grand Rapids(vs $1,620/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$188/mo more in state tax than Grand Rapids

vs 4.25% in Grand Rapids

03after rent

$6,065/mo

$294 less than Grand Rapids

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

04a house here

$361k

2% more expensive than Grand Rapids

vs $353k in Grand Rapids

05metro size

397k

vs 1.2M in Grand Rapids

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

249

pleasant days a year, in myrtle beach.

Grand Rapids barely cracks 151 pleasant ones.

67% fewer events than Grand Rapids. The pace eases up.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

58/100

4% higher than Grand Rapids

vs 56/100 in Grand Rapids

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

·walk score®

55/100

43% lower than Grand Rapids

vs 97/100 in Grand Rapids

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

15% more than Grand Rapids

vs 20 nonstops in Grand Rapids

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