City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Myrtle Beach, SC are 5.2% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $105,200 in Myrtle Beach, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,575 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Jackson, MS.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Jackson, MS to Myrtle Beach, SC changes real buying power by −4.9%, purely from prices.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (much cheaper)
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Jackson, MS | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,159 in Myrtle Beach | $95,094 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,575/yr.
53 Fair offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,575/yr.
85 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Jackson, MS to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Jackson → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $90,460 | $73,490 | $69,885 (−22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $74,520 | $70,864 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $80,640 | $76,684 (−7.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.