City comparison
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Wilmington, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Wilmington, NC are 3.0% higher than in Myrtle Beach, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Myrtle Beach, SC would need about $103,000 in Wilmington, NC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,513 a month in Wilmington, NC versus $1,229 in Myrtle Beach, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Wilmington, NC and 20% in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,362 a year higher in Myrtle Beach, SC than in Wilmington, NC.
- 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 Myrtle Beach, SC to Wilmington, NC changes real buying power by −2.9%, purely from prices.
- Myrtle Beach, SC: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
- Wilmington, NC: price level 96.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Wilmington, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 96.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,969 in Wilmington | $97,117 in Myrtle Beach |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,229/mo | $1,513/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $37,930 | $45,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Myrtle Beach | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.1 | 93.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 88.0 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 96.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Myrtle Beach, SC → Wilmington, NC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,362/yr.
60 Fair offer
Wilmington, NC → Myrtle Beach, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,362/yr.
78 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 Myrtle Beach, SC to Wilmington, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Wilmington, NC | Real change, Myrtle Beach → Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Myrtle Beach, SC | Wilmington, NC | Wilmington pay in Myrtle Beach dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | not published | $48,240 | — |
| Software Developers | not published | $123,730 | — |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,520 | $77,920 | $75,673 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,640 | $80,970 | $78,636 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.