Decatur Sumter

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Decatur to Sumter is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 88.4 to 88.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $213/mo.

-$9,775
BLS median salary lower in Sumter
277 to 439
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14:1 to 14.3:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$4,525
DOL infant care lower / yr in Sumter

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 88.4 → 88.0
Rent Delta: +$213/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + More affordable childcare
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $213/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - $10K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate

Purchasing power stays near-even: BEA RPP moves only from 88.4 to 88.0 (ratio 1.00), inside a ±5% band. HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $213/mo ($2,556/yr) from $1,063 in Decatur to $1,276 in Sumter.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Sumter sits #11 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Decatur is #27/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $9,775 lower ($65,802 → $56,027). Labor-market size: 36,440 tracked jobs at origin vs 28,110 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Carolina scores 80 (A, #3/51) vs Illinois at 58 (D, #31/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Decatur
Sumter
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 88.4
RPP 88.0
Sumter
Rent (2BR)
$1,063/mo
$1,276/mo
Decatur
Wages
$65,802
$56,027
Decatur
Crime
277 per 100K
439 per 100K
Decatur
Schools
14:1
14.3:1
Decatur
Childcare
$12,257/yr
$7,732/yr
Sumter
Environment
3029 violations
720 violations
Sumter

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Illinois
58 D #31/51
Income tax
95
Property tax
46
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
46
Destination state · South Carolina
80 A #3/51
Income tax
85
Property tax
87
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
56

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Sumter
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026