Moving to Texas from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Texas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Texas, you would find that Texas is 0.5% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $69,665 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Texas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,665
To maintain the same standard of living in Texas
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.4% less
Groceries
pay 13.8% less
Transportation
pay 11.5% more
Housing
pay 2.2% less
Childcare
pay 3.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.3% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Carolina to Texas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
South Carolina generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in violent 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
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Texas leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
South Carolina performs better than Texas across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
South Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Texas 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
Texas performs significantly better than South Carolina across all employment & economy metrics.
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 Texas leads in life expectancy.
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 | Columbia | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Texas than South Carolina?
Yes — Texas is on average about 7% cheaper than South Carolina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Texas?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,416 in Texas on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Texas safe?
South Carolina generally does better on safety, though Texas leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Texas compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Texas leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Texas compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
