01 · the cities
Miami
Miami is Spanish before it's English, salsa before it's small talk, and a cortadito before it's a coffee. South Beach Art Deco glows pink at night, Wynwood is a city-sized mural, and the Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana could end fights. Summer is bath-warm ocean and ceiling fans turned up high, and October feels like everywhere else's perfect August. Bring linen.
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
$2,665/mo
$1,727/mo
$938/mo less than Miami (54%)
Median home price
Median home price
$565k
$361k
$203k less than Miami
State income tax
State income tax
0%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,668/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $397/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
272 days
249 days
23 fewer than Miami
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
Miami edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
77 / 100
58 / 100
19.0 pts behind Miami
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
167 routes
23 routes
144 fewer direct routes than Miami
Metro size
Metro size
6.2M metro
397k metro
Miami has 42.9x more events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
4
Miami
categories won
3
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Miami wins on weather and lifestyle. Myrtle Beach has the edge on money.
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