?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Myrtle Beach, SC

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Hilton Head Island needs about $83,000 in Myrtle Beach to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Myrtle Beach, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $87,000 in Hilton Head Island.

A few differences

Hilton Head Island vs Myrtle Beach · facet by facet
FacetHilton Head Island, SCMyrtle Beach, SC
Median home price$687,400$388,800
2-bedroom rent$1,707/mo$1,212/mo
Property tax rate0.55%0.55%
State & local income tax3.39%3.39%
Sales tax7.5%7.5%
Cost of living index11894
Groceries index9898
Utilities$175/mo$175/mo
Median household income$94,657$60,394
Unemployment rate3.5%3.5%
Crime index65/10065/100
School rating5.0/105.0/10
Sunny days / year220 days220 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Hilton Head Island, SC · Myrtle Beach, SC
Questions & answers
Is Hilton Head Island cheaper than Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach has the lower day-to-day cost index (94 vs 118 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Myrtle Beach equals $85,000 in Hilton Head Island?
A household earning $85,000 in Hilton Head Island needs about $83,000 in Myrtle Beach to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Myrtle Beach lifestyle costs about $87,000 in Hilton Head Island.