Moving to South Carolina from Nebraska

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Nebraska to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Nebraska to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 4.5% more expensive than Nebraska. A $75,000 salary in Nebraska would need to be roughly $81,151 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Nebraska to South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $81,151

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 7.3% more

Groceries

pay 13.3% more

Transportation

pay 3.9% less

Housing

pay 16.3% more

Childcare

pay 14.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Nebraska to South Carolina.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
225
SC
454
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NE
1937
SC
2116

Nebraska performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NE
7.1%
SC
9.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NE
37.4%
SC
35.4%

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NE
$223,800
SC
$236,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NE
$1,035
SC
$1,126

Nebraska generally does better on what about housing?, though South Carolina leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NE
89.8%
SC
87.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NE
19 min
SC
26 min

Nebraska performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NE
3.0%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NE
$73,391
SC
$49,914

Nebraska performs better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NE
77.7 yrs
SC
74.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NE
22%
SC
20%

Nebraska performs better than South Carolina 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.

Lincoln Rain: 28.9 in/yr (735 mm)
63° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lincoln Columbia
Jan–Mar 42°/20°F (6°/-7°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/61°F (29°/16°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 51°/28°F (11°/-2°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Lincoln Columbia
Jan 35°/14°F (1.9°/-10.1°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 40°/18°F (4.5°/-7.8°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 52°/28°F (11.3°/-2.3°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 64°/39°F (17.9°/3.8°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.3°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 84°/61°F (29.0°/16.1°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 89°/66°F (31.7°/18.9°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 87°/64°F (30.4°/17.7°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 79°/53°F (25.9°/11.9°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 66°/41°F (18.8°/4.8°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 50°/28°F (10.2°/-2.4°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 37°/16°F (2.9°/-8.7°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Nebraska?

No — South Carolina is on average about 8% more expensive than Nebraska. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,288 in South Carolina on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is South Carolina safe?

Nebraska performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Nebraska?

Nebraska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.

What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Nebraska?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 63°F in Lincoln. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Lincoln gets 28.9 in.

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