City comparison
Milwaukee, WI vs Myrtle Beach, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Milwaukee, WI are 3.5% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $103,500 in Milwaukee, WI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,229 a month in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Myrtle Beach, SC and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $923 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Milwaukee, WI to Myrtle Beach, SC ($111,310 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (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
| Milwaukee, WI | Myrtle Beach, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,601 in Myrtle Beach | $103,519 in Milwaukee |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,119/mo | $1,229/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,160 | $37,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Milwaukee | Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 83.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 91.6 | 88.0 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Milwaukee, WI → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$923/yr.
80 Strong offer
Myrtle Beach, SC → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$923/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Milwaukee, WI is in the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI pay area; Myrtle Beach, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Milwaukee, WI to Myrtle Beach, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Milwaukee, WI | Myrtle Beach, SC | Real change, Milwaukee → Myrtle Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,548 | $61,722 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,098 | $74,678 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,606 | $89,508 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,310 | $106,437 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,535 | $125,776 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Milwaukee, WI | Myrtle Beach, SC | Myrtle Beach pay in Milwaukee dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,480 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $123,730 | not published | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,290 | $74,520 | $77,142 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | $80,640 | $83,477 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.