Is Myrtle Beach cheaper than Scranton?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Myrtle Beach and Scranton metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Myrtle Beach or Scranton?

Household incomes are similar — $68,534 in the Myrtle Beach metro versus $68,079 in Scranton (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in Myrtle Beach or Scranton?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($73,187 versus $72,768).

Which has cheaper rent, Myrtle Beach or Scranton?

Scranton has cheaper rent — a median of $1,072/mo versus $1,433/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Myrtle Beach vs Scranton

Metro-area medians — Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metro Area vs Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Scranton comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 5 clearly-decided measures.

Myrtle Beach and Scranton are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: Scranton has the tighter job market — 4.6% unemployment versus 5.2%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Myrtle Beach, SC

$58,400

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$62,365

real value after local prices

Scranton, PA

$59,011

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$63,076

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Scranton leaves you about $710/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Myrtle Beach

Scranton

Livability (CityLedger)

37/100

41/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

93.6

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$73,187

$72,768

Median household income

$68,534

$68,079

Median rent

$1,433/mo

$1,072/mo

Median home value

$325,300

$215,400

Unemployment

5.2%

4.6%

Bachelor's degree or higher

27.6%

28%

Average commute

24.9 min

23.1 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

64°F

51°F

Choose Myrtle Beach for

No clear edge

Full Myrtle Beach profile →

Choose Scranton for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Median rent
+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute

Full Scranton profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Myrtle Beach and Scranton on cost, income, size, and education.

Myrtle Beach vs Ocala→Myrtle Beach vs Prescott Valley→Myrtle Beach vs Atlantic City→Scranton vs Springfield→Scranton vs Winston-Salem→Scranton vs Greensboro→

Myrtle Beach vs Scranton — frequently asked

Is Myrtle Beach cheaper than Scranton?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Myrtle Beach and Scranton metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Myrtle Beach or Scranton?: Household incomes are similar — $68,534 in the Myrtle Beach metro versus $68,079 in Scranton (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Myrtle Beach or Scranton?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($73,187 versus $72,768).
Which has cheaper rent, Myrtle Beach or Scranton?: Scranton has cheaper rent — a median of $1,072/mo versus $1,433/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).