New York vs South Carolina
In $100,000 in New York
$92,678
The same income in South Carolina
$106,724
$100,000 has $14,046 more purchasing power in South Carolina.
Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated
Salary needed in South Carolina
$86,840
to match $100,000 in New York, before tax.
We compare it with your current income after local prices.
Enter an offer greater than zero, or leave this field blank.
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Where the difference comes fromPrice components
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is more expensive.
| Component | New York | South Carolina | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 107.9 | 93.7 | −13.2% |
| Housing rents | 122.2 | 80.5 | −34.1% |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.3 | −10.3% |
| Utilities | 134.4 | 88.3 | −34.3% |
| Other services | 104.1 | 98.3 | −5.6% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official data
Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official data
Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | New York | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 10.90% | 6.00% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 8.54% | 7.49% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Who comes out ahead in South Carolina?
The answer depends on your situation. Each card compares statewide medians for one situation; the state named is the one the numbers favor.
An unchanged income buys about 15.2% more in South Carolina than in New York. On $100,000 that is $14,046 of national-average purchasing power a year.
Median gross rent is $1,621 in New York and $1,180 in South Carolina, $441 a month ($5,292 a year) less in South Carolina. Renters spend a median 31.2% and 31.1% of income on rent.
The median home is worth $423,800 in New York (4.9× median household income) and $259,000 in South Carolina (3.7×). Median property taxes equal 1.55% and 0.48% of the median home value.
Median household income is $85,974 in New York and $69,324 in South Carolina. After adjusting for prices, that is $79,679 and $73,985: local pay goes further in New York.
Unemployment is 4.4% in New York and 4.2% in South Carolina (July 2026). The two labor markets are about equally tight. Pay for specific jobs is compared below.
New York and South Carolina head to head
Statewide figures the calculator above does not show. “Edge” (bold on small screens) marks the state with the lower cost or higher income on that row; rows without a clear better direction are left blank.
| Measure | New York | South Carolina | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Median household income | $85,974 | $69,324 | New York |
| Adjusted for local prices | $79,679 | $73,985 | New York |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownership rate | 54.3% | 71.9% | |
| Rent as % of renter income | 31.2% | 31.1% | South Carolina |
| Owner costs as % of income | 18.9% | 15.5% | South Carolina |
| Home value ÷ household income | 4.9× | 3.7× | South Carolina |
| Home price change, 2020–2025 · FHFA index | +54.1% | +63.9% | |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax rate | 10.90% (graduated) | 6.00% (graduated) | South Carolina |
| Combined sales tax (avg) | 8.54% | 7.49% | South Carolina |
| Median property tax paid | $6,582 | $1,251 | South Carolina |
| Property tax ÷ home value | 1.55% | 0.48% | South Carolina |
| Jobs | |||
| Unemployment (July 2026) | 4.4% | 4.2% | South Carolina |
| Minimum wage | $16.00/hr | $7.25/hr | |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,620/mo | $1,148/mo | South Carolina |
| Average electric bill (2024) | $140/mo | $150/mo | New York |
| Electricity price | 24.4¢/kWh | 14.2¢/kWh | South Carolina |
| Health care spending per person (2025) | $13,091 | $8,217 | |
| All consumer spending per person (2025) | $69,658 | $53,665 | |
| People | |||
| Population change since July 2020 | −0.6% | +8.5% | |
| Net moves from other states | −1,045,769 | +364,272 | |
| Median age | 39.8 | 40.2 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 40.2% | 32.1% | |
| No health insurance | 5.1% | 9.6% | New York |
| Average commute | 32.6 min | 25.6 min | South Carolina |
| Crime (2025, per 100,000 residents) | |||
| Violent crime | 368.4 | 387.6 | New York |
| Property crime | 1,574.8 | 1,676.2 | New York |
| Murder | 2.4 | 6.4 | New York |
| Climate (1991–2020 averages) | |||
| Average temperature | 46.0°F | 63.4°F | |
| July average high | 79.7°F | 91.3°F | |
| January average low | 12.9°F | 34.3°F | |
| Precipitation | 43.6 in | 48.3 in | |
Sources: Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates, FHFA house price index via FRED, BLS LAUS, Tax Foundation 2026, US DOL minimum wage, EIA, BEA consumer spending, Census population estimates, FBI crime estimates, and NOAA statewide climate. Median property tax covers owner-occupied homes. Spending is in current dollars and reflects both prices and incomes.
Who is moving between New York and South Carolina
In 2024, about 18,324 people living in South Carolina had lived in New York a year earlier, and about 5,749 made the opposite move. On net, South Carolina gained about 12,575 residents from New York that year.
Census State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year, 2024). ± values are 90% margins of error. New York and South Carolina profiles list each state's largest sources and destinations. What the biggest moves trade →
Salary in South Carolina that matches your New York pay
Pre-tax salary needed in South Carolina to keep the same purchasing power, using the all-items price levels (107.9 and 93.7).
| Salary in New York | Equivalent in South Carolina | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $34,736 | −$5,264 |
| $60,000 | $52,104 | −$7,896 |
| $80,000 | $69,472 | −$10,528 |
| $100,000 | $86,840 | −$13,160 |
| $150,000 | $130,259 | −$19,741 |
| $200,000 | $173,679 | −$26,321 |
What the same job pays in New York and South Carolina
BLS median annual wages (May 2025), then the same wages adjusted for each state's price level. The last column names the state where the job's median pay buys more.
| Occupation | New York | South Carolina | NY adjusted | SC adjusted | Goes further in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $109,440 | $82,360 | $101,427 | $87,898 | New York |
| Software Developers | $166,180 | $129,450 | $154,013 | $138,154 | New York |
| Elementary School Teachers | $85,760 | $60,820 | $79,481 | $64,909 | New York |
| Electricians | $78,750 | $58,740 | $72,984 | $62,689 | New York |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,050 | $51,130 | $57,507 | $54,568 | New York |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,640 | $76,560 | $95,125 | $81,708 | New York |
| Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $92,790 | $58,070 | $85,996 | $61,974 | New York |
| Pharmacists | $142,090 | $135,700 | $131,687 | $144,824 | South Carolina |
| Dental Hygienists | $106,130 | $84,340 | $98,360 | $90,011 | New York |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $59,140 | $49,980 | $54,810 | $53,340 | New York |
Prices inside each state
A statewide price level averages cities and rural areas. The BEA also publishes price levels for metro areas; here is the range in each state.
New York
- Lowest Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 87.7
- Highest New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 112.6
- Metro areas 13
South Carolina
- Lowest Florence, SC 86.8
- Highest Charleston-North Charleston, SC 101.0
- Metro areas 10
New York vs South Carolina: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in New York and South Carolina: its purchasing power is $92,678 and $106,724, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $14,046. South Carolina is the cheaper of the two, running at 93.7 on the price index versus 107.9.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap on the index is utilities: New York sits at 134.4 and South Carolina at 88.3 (100 = national), and South Carolina has the edge there. Rents also differ (122.2 versus 80.5), and because rent takes a much larger share of a typical budget than utilities, it usually does more to separate the two states' overall price levels.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,621 in New York against $1,180 in South Carolina, and the typical home $423,800 versus $259,000. South Carolina is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, New York has 10.90% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 8.54%; South Carolina has 6.00% top income tax and 7.49%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: New York · South Carolina. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
New York vs South Carolina: common questions
Is it cheaper to live in New York or South Carolina?
South Carolina is cheaper overall. Its price level is 93.7 against 107.9 in New York (US = 100), so the same basket of goods and services costs about 13.2% less there. The difference is usually largest for rent.
What salary in South Carolina matches $100,000 in New York?
About $86,840, before tax. That is $100,000 × 93.7 ÷ 107.9. Income tax, your actual rent or mortgage, and commuting costs can all shift the break-even point.
Which state has lower taxes, New York or South Carolina?
New York has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 10.90% and an average combined sales tax of 8.54%. South Carolina has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 6.00% and 7.49%. Median real estate taxes paid by owners are $6,582 and $1,251 a year. Which state costs a household less depends on its income, spending, and whether it owns a home.
Do people earn more in New York or South Carolina?
Median household income is $85,974 in New York and $69,324 in South Carolina. Adjusted for prices, that is $79,679 and $73,985 in national-average dollars, so households in New York have more purchasing power at the median.
Are more people moving from New York to South Carolina or the other way?
In 2024, about 18,324 people moved from New York to South Carolina and about 5,749 moved from South Carolina to New York, according to Census state-to-state migration estimates. That is a net gain of about 12,575 for South Carolina.
Comparing a different pair? Use the full tool →