Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin Spartanburg

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 97.0 → 91.1
Rent Delta: -$598/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 6% lower cost of living
  • + $598/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $4K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Moving from Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin to Spartanburg shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 97.0 to 91.1 (100 = US average), so a Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin salary needs to be multiplied by 0.94 to hold the same purchasing power in Spartanburg. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,785/month in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin to $1,187/month in Spartanburg - a lower monthly bill of $598, or $7,176/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 $66,615 in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin versus $63,034 in Spartanburg - a raw gap of $3,581 lower. The Spartanburg labor market has 158,460 tracked jobs against 119,420 in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, 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 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin and Spartanburg are 210 and 439 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.8:1 at origin versus 14.3:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $10,505/year in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin versus $7,732/year in Spartanburg. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
Spartanburg
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 97.0
RPP 91.1
Spartanburg
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,785/mo
$1,187/mo
Spartanburg
💼 Wages
$66,615
$63,034
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
🔒 Crime
210 per 100K
439 per 100K
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
🎓 Schools
17.8:1
14.3:1
Spartanburg
👶 Childcare
$10,505/yr
$7,732/yr
Spartanburg
🌿 Environment
2676 violations
647 violations
Spartanburg

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin to see what you'd need to earn in Spartanburg to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Spartanburg
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spartanburg more expensive than Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
Spartanburg has an RPP of 91.1 compared to Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin's 97.0 (100 = national average). Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Spartanburg is $1,187/mo vs $1,785/mo in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin.
What are salaries like in Spartanburg compared to Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
The median salary in Spartanburg is $63,034 compared to $66,615 in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin. That's a -$3,581 difference.
Is Spartanburg safer than Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin?
The violent crime rate near Spartanburg is 439 per 100K vs 210 per 100K near Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin (state-level data). Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Spartanburg to match my Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin salary by 0.94. For example, a $75,000 salary in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin would need to be $70,378 in Spartanburg. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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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)