Moving to South Carolina from Oregon
What to Expect
Considering a move from Oregon to South Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Oregon to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 2.9% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $78,749 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Oregon and South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $78,749
To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.4% more
Groceries
pay 14.1% more
Transportation
pay 12.2% less
Housing
pay 3.2% more
Childcare
pay 19.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.5% less
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 Oregon.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Oregon generally does better on safety, though South Carolina leads in property crime rate.
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
Oregon performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina performs significantly better than Oregon across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Oregon performs better than South Carolina across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Oregon generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Oregon 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Salem | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salem | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon?
On average South Carolina is around 5% pricier than Oregon, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?
Budget about $19,687 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?
Oregon generally does better on safety, though South Carolina leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Oregon?
Oregon performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Oregon?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.
