City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Myrtle Beach, SC are 8.3% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $108,300 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Kingsport, TN.
- 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 Kingsport, TN to Myrtle Beach, SC changes real buying power by −7.7%, purely from prices.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (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
| Kingsport, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,323 in Myrtle Beach | $92,316 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
45 Weak offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Kingsport, TN to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Kingsport → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $74,520 | $68,794 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $80,640 | $74,444 (−3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.