with $100k coming in, swapping out of San Jose

change
Myrtle Beach, SC cityscape

if you left san jose

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

$1,977

below San Jose's monthly cost

Myrtle Beach is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
landable, recorded on the myrtle beach entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,727/mo

50% cheaper than San Jose(vs $3,470/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$233/mo less in state tax than San Jose

vs 9.3% in San Jose

03after rent

$6,065/mo

$1,977 more than San Jose

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

04a house here

$361k

80% cheaper than San Jose

vs $1796k in San Jose

05metro size

397k

vs 1.9M in San Jose

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

249

pleasant days a year, in myrtle beach.

San Jose gets 283 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

Noticeably quieter than San Jose. About 63% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

58/100

17% lower than San Jose

vs 70/100 in San Jose

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

·walk score®

55/100

42% lower than San Jose

vs 95/100 in San Jose

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

23

21% fewer than San Jose

vs 29 nonstops in San Jose

04 · see also

same energy as myrtle beach, different zip code:

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