PlainRelocate

Florence-Muscle Shoals → Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Florence-Muscle Shoals to Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 84.8 to 98.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $816/mo.

+$8,128
BLS median salary higher in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
376 to 439
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 14.3:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$836
DOL infant care higher / yr in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

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: 84.8 → 98.0
Rent Delta: +$816/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $8K higher median salary
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 13% higher cost of living
  • - $816/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 84.8 to 98.0, so the same paycheck buys less in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal (ratio 1.16). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $816/mo ($9,792/yr) from $1,000 in Florence-Muscle Shoals to $1,816 in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal.

Florence-Muscle Shoals still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal sits #183 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Florence-Muscle Shoals is #83/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $8,128 higher ($54,891 → $63,019). Labor-market size: 48,280 tracked jobs at origin vs 77,390 at destination.

State retirement friendliness is near-even: Alabama 75 (B, #5/51) vs South Carolina 80 (A, #3/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Florence-Muscle Shoals
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 84.8
RPP 98.0
Florence-Muscle Shoals
Rent (2BR)
$1,000/mo
$1,816/mo
Florence-Muscle Shoals
Wages
$54,891
$63,019
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Crime
376 per 100K
439 per 100K
Florence-Muscle Shoals
Schools
17.7:1
14.3:1
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$7,732/yr
Florence-Muscle Shoals
Environment
538 violations
720 violations
Florence-Muscle Shoals

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 · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20
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 Florence-Muscle Shoals to see what you'd need to earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
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See the reverse: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal → Florence-Muscle Shoals

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology

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