City comparison
Lubbock, TX 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 2.5% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $102,500 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Lubbock, TX.
- 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 Lubbock, TX to Myrtle Beach, SC changes real buying power by −2.5%, purely from prices.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (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
| Lubbock, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,546 in Myrtle Beach | $97,517 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
61 Fair offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
77 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 Lubbock, TX to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Lubbock → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $74,520 | $72,670 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $80,640 | $78,638 (−3.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.