Georgia and South Carolina at a glance
Moving between Georgia and South Carolina changes more than the scenery. On a $60,000 salary, Georgia leaves $24,354 a year after taxes, rent, food, energy and gasoline; South Carolina leaves $26,318.
South Carolina comes out ahead by $1,963 a year ($164 a month). The calculation starts from the same gross pay in both states, subtracts federal tax, Social Security and Medicare, then each state's own income tax, and then the population-weighted cost of a one-bedroom rental, groceries, home energy and gasoline across 10,940,407 people in 159 counties in Georgia and 5,296,225 people in 46 counties in South Carolina.
Taxes: what each paycheck loses
Federal income tax ($5,072) and FICA ($4,590) on $60,000 are the same on both sides of the border. State income tax takes $2,491 in Georgia and $2,113 in South Carolina, which leaves take-home pay of $47,847 and $48,226.
At $100,000
At $100,000 take-home pay is $74,334 in Georgia and $74,308 in South Carolina, a difference of $25. The gap does not widen much with income because the two states tax at similar rates.
Living costs
One-bedroom rent averages $1,374 a month in Georgia and $1,243 in South Carolina, so South Carolina is $131 a month cheaper for housing. Food costs $3,436 a year in both, because the USDA Thrifty Food Plan is a national figure; home energy $2,207 and $2,171, and gasoline $1,366 and $1,385. Together the basics cost $23,493 a year in Georgia and $21,908 in South Carolina.
What the Census adds
Median household income is $77,353 in Georgia and $69,324 in South Carolina. Homeowners pay a median of $2,341 a year in property tax in Georgia and $1,251 in South Carolina. Commuters travel 28.3 minutes each way on average in Georgia and 25.6 in South Carolina.
Method
Taxes use the 2025 rules for a single filer with wage income only and the standard deduction. Housing and living costs are county figures from HUD (one-bedroom Fair Market Rent), the USDA Thrifty Food Plan and state energy prices from the Energy Information Administration, averaged across each state's counties and weighted by population, so large counties count more. Local income taxes are not included. Counties differ widely inside every state, so use the county pages for a specific place.