Moving to Wisconsin from South Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Carolina to Wisconsin — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Carolina to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 4.8% more expensive than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $69,625 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madison averages 56°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Carolina to Wisconsin.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $69,625
To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 7.7% less
Groceries
pay 11.1% less
Transportation
pay 5.0% more
Housing
pay 13.9% less
Childcare
pay 44.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.2% 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 Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin 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
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in uninsured rate.
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 Wisconsin leads in median rent.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin performs significantly 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 | Columbia | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Wisconsin than South Carolina?
Yes — Wisconsin is on average about 7% cheaper than South Carolina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,406 in Wisconsin on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Wisconsin safe?
Wisconsin performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Wisconsin compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Madison is 56°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Madison receives around 34.5 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
