01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Myrtle Beach
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,727/mo
$1,116/mo less than Honolulu (65%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$361k
$700k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $1,491/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
316 days
249 days
67 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Honolulu edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
58 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
23 routes
28 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
397k metro
Honolulu has 4.1x more events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
2
Honolulu
categories won
5
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Myrtle Beach wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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