Moving to Idaho from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Idaho — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 9.3% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $68,000 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Idaho Falls averages 59°F vs 73°F in Charleston, making it significantly cooler. Charleston and Idaho Falls are about 1,900 mi apart.
Is Idaho cheaper than South Carolina?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 11.3% less
Groceries
pay 21.5% less
Transportation
pay 2.8% less
Housing
pay 9.3% less
Childcare
pay 4.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.4% 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.
What salary do you need in Idaho?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Carolina to Idaho.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Idaho performs significantly 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
Idaho performs significantly 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 generally does better on what about housing?, though Idaho leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho performs significantly 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
Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though South Carolina leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
South Carolina generally does better on family life, though Idaho leads in life expectancy.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Idaho vs South Carolina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Charleston | Idaho Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 39°/19°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 69°/40°F (20°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 83°/49°F (29°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 45°/24°F (7°/-5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Idaho Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.7°/-10.2°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 36°/17°F (2.3°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 49°/26°F (9.3°/-3.2°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 59°/33°F (15.2°/0.3°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 69°/40°F (20.3°/4.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 78°/47°F (25.6°/8.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 87°/53°F (30.7°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 87°/51°F (30.6°/10.7°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 76°/42°F (24.3°/5.8°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 61°/33°F (16.3°/0.4°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 44°/24°F (6.4°/-4.7°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.7°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than South Carolina?
Yes — Idaho is on average about 9% cheaper than South Carolina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Idaho?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,000 in Idaho on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Idaho safe?
Idaho performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Idaho compared to South Carolina?
Idaho performs significantly better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Idaho compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Idaho Falls is 59°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Idaho Falls receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
