Moving to South Carolina from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Wisconsin to South Carolina — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Wisconsin to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 0.4% cheaper than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $80,790 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 56°F in Madison, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Wisconsin to South Carolina.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,790
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 8.6% more
Groceries
pay 14.8% more
Transportation
pay 4.5% less
Housing
pay 19.0% more
Childcare
pay 29.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.4% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Wisconsin to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin performs 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
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in adult obesity 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 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 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 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 | Madison | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°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 Wisconsin?
No — South Carolina is on average about 8% more expensive than Wisconsin. 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 $20,198 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?
Wisconsin performs better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
