Moving from Arkansas to South Carolina
Everyone compares rent and groceries. Almost nobody compares the two numbers that actually decide whether a move works: state income tax and property tax. Here is Arkansas and South Carolina, side by side.
Moving to South Carolina costs about
+$390/mo
more than Arkansas each month, renting
Worth knowing
Homes cost 1.4x more in South Carolina, but the tax rate is lower
South Carolina taxes property at 0.48% against 0.55% in Arkansas. Despite the far higher prices, the yearly bill only rises to about $1,243 from $1,034.
Arkansas vs South Carolina at a glance
| Arkansas | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $188,000 | $259,000 |
| Median rent | $947/mo | $1,180/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 3.90% | Up to 6.00% |
| Property tax rate | 0.55% | 0.48% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 94 | 96 |
| Utilities | 75 | 88 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
What changes each month
| Monthly | AR | SC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $947 | $1,180 | +$233 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $245 | $304 | +$59 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $91 | $88 | -$3 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,716 | $1,766 | +$50 |
| Utilities | $305 | $361 | +$55 |
| Total | +$390 | ||
What the move itself costs
$2,000 to $4,700
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $600 to $850, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Little Rock is not Arkansas-average and Greenville is not South Carolina-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.