Population
Myrtle Beach
37,214
West Columbia
17,723
Median Income
Myrtle Beach
$53,679
West Columbia
$54,152
Home Value
Myrtle Beach
$347,700
West Columbia
$186,200
Rent
Myrtle Beach
$1,132
West Columbia
$1,092
Crime Rate
Myrtle Beach
11.12
West Columbia
7.48
Cost of Living
Myrtle Beach
104.0
West Columbia
93.5
Avg Temp
Myrtle Beach
N/A
West Columbia
N/A
Unemployment
Myrtle Beach
4.3%
West Columbia
4.1%
How Similar Are Myrtle Beach & West Columbia?
West Columbia is Myrtle Beach's #9 most similar city
5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Myrtle Beach
37,214
West Columbia
17,723
Myrtle Beach (37,214) is about 2.1x larger than West Columbia (17,723).
Violent Crime
Myrtle Beach
11.12
West Columbia
7.48
Myrtle Beach has a 33% higher violent crime than West Columbia.
Property Crime
Myrtle Beach
56.56
West Columbia
44.38
Myrtle Beach has a 22% higher property crime than West Columbia.
Political Leaning
Myrtle Beach
68.8%
West Columbia
66.0%
Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 4% difference.
Unemployment
Myrtle Beach
4.3%
West Columbia
4.1%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 4% difference.
Median Income
Myrtle Beach
$53,679
West Columbia
$54,152
Both cities have similar median income — just a 1% difference.
Home Values
Myrtle Beach
$347,700
West Columbia
$186,200
Myrtle Beach has a 46% higher home values than West Columbia.
Education
Myrtle Beach
26.5%
West Columbia
27.0%
Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.
Demographics
Myrtle Beach
69.9%
West Columbia
65.9%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.
Cost of Living
Myrtle Beach
104.0
West Columbia
93.5
Myrtle Beach has a 10% higher cost of living than West Columbia.
5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Myrtle Beach and West Columbia share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Myrtle Beach
0
West Columbia
West Columbia leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — West Columbia leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWest Columbia scores 105.2 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 134.6 in Myrtle Beach. West Columbia has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,276 vs $1,465 in Myrtle Beach (15% lower). West Columbia scores 93.5 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 104.0 in Myrtle Beach.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — West Columbia leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWest Columbia has a vacancy rate of 6.3% compared to 29.5% in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach has a median home value of $347,700 vs $186,200 in West Columbia (87% higher). West Columbia has a single-family homes of 65.3% compared to 46.2% in Myrtle Beach.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Myrtle Beach leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMyrtle Beach: 18,785 vs West Columbia: 9,504 for labor force. Myrtle Beach has a work from home of 12.5% compared to 8.1% in West Columbia. West Columbia has a poverty rate of 14.1% compared to 16.9% in Myrtle Beach.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — West Columbia leads
Source: FBI UCRWest Columbia has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.75 compared to 1.73 in Myrtle Beach. West Columbia has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 7.48 compared to 11.12 in Myrtle Beach. West Columbia has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 37.11 compared to 48.14 in Myrtle Beach.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMyrtle Beach has a high school diploma or higher of 47.5% compared to 43.8% in West Columbia. West Columbia has a bachelor's degree or higher of 27.0% compared to 26.5% in Myrtle Beach.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMyrtle Beach has a population of 37,214, about 2.1x the size of West Columbia (17,723). West Columbia skews younger with a median age of 37.2 vs 47.0.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Myrtle Beach
West Columbia
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMyrtle Beach: 4 vs West Columbia: 3 for with emergency services. West Columbia: 3.3 vs Myrtle Beach: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Myrtle Beach leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMyrtle Beach has a work from home of 12.5% compared to 8.1% in West Columbia. West Columbia has a bicycle of 0.3% compared to 0.1% in Myrtle Beach. West Columbia has a drive alone of 79.8% compared to 72.5% in Myrtle Beach.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Myrtle Beach, SC
Compare Myrtle Beach against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.