Burlington-South Burlington Sumter

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 100.9 → 88.0
Rent Delta: -$864/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 13% lower cost of living
  • + $864/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $22K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Moving from Burlington-South Burlington to Sumter shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 100.9 to 88.0 (100 = US average), so a Burlington-South Burlington salary needs to be multiplied by 0.87 to hold the same purchasing power in Sumter. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,140/month in Burlington-South Burlington to $1,276/month in Sumter - a lower monthly bill of $864, or $10,368/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $78,385 in Burlington-South Burlington versus $56,027 in Sumter - a raw gap of $22,358 lower. The Sumter labor market has 28,110 tracked jobs against 108,730 in Burlington-South Burlington, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Burlington-South Burlington and Sumter are 225 and 439 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 11.9:1 at origin versus 14.3:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Neutral — Depends on Priorities - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Burlington-South Burlington
Sumter
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 100.9
RPP 88.0
Sumter
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,140/mo
$1,276/mo
Sumter
💼 Wages
$78,385
$56,027
Burlington-South Burlington
🔒 Crime
225 per 100K
439 per 100K
Burlington-South Burlington
🎓 Schools
11.9:1
14.3:1
Burlington-South Burlington
👶 Childcare
N/A
$7,732/yr
Tie
🌿 Environment
1090 violations
647 violations
Sumter

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Burlington-South Burlington to see what you'd need to earn in Sumter to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Sumter
-

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sumter more expensive than Burlington-South Burlington?
Sumter has an RPP of 88.0 compared to Burlington-South Burlington's 100.9 (100 = national average). Burlington-South Burlington is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Sumter is $1,276/mo vs $2,140/mo in Burlington-South Burlington.
What are salaries like in Sumter compared to Burlington-South Burlington?
The median salary in Sumter is $56,027 compared to $78,385 in Burlington-South Burlington. That's a -$22,358 difference.
Is Sumter safer than Burlington-South Burlington?
The violent crime rate near Sumter is 439 per 100K vs 225 per 100K near Burlington-South Burlington (state-level data). Burlington-South Burlington has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Sumter to match my Burlington-South Burlington salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Burlington-South Burlington salary by 0.87. For example, a $75,000 salary in Burlington-South Burlington would need to be $65,394 in Sumter. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Neutral — Depends on Priorities" means both metros are roughly equivalent across the 7 dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

Explore PlainRelocate

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)