City comparison
Hickory, NC 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 5.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $105,800 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (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
| Hickory, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,827 in Myrtle Beach | $94,494 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
52 Fair offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Hickory → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $49,540 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $74,520 | $70,417 (−9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $80,640 | $76,200 (−4.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.