Moving to South Carolina from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 19.2% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $90,862 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 76°F in Jackson, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $90,862
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 28.1% more
Groceries
pay 23.8% more
Transportation
pay 5.2% more
Housing
pay 24.6% more
Childcare
pay 39.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Carolina compared to Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
South Carolina performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi generally does better on what about housing?, though South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Mississippi generally does better on infrastructure, though South Carolina leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
South Carolina generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
South Carolina performs significantly better than Mississippi across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jackson | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Mississippi?
On average South Carolina is around 21% pricier than Mississippi, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $22,716 for 3 months in South Carolina (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is South Carolina safe?
Mississippi performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Mississippi?
South Carolina performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
