Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach Dothan

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Neutral — Depends on Priorities
Cost Index: 93.6 → 83.8
Rent Delta: -$515/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 10% lower cost of living
  • + $515/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $6K lower median salary
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios

Moving from Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach to Dothan shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 93.6 to 83.8 (100 = US average), so a Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach salary needs to be multiplied by 0.90 to hold the same purchasing power in Dothan. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,465/month in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach to $950/month in Dothan - a lower monthly bill of $515, or $6,180/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 $59,331 in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach versus $52,967 in Dothan - a raw gap of $6,364 lower. The Dothan labor market has 54,630 tracked jobs against 135,370 in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach and Dothan are 439 and 376 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.3:1 at origin versus 17.7:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,732/year in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach versus $6,896/year in Dothan. 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
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
Dothan
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 93.6
RPP 83.8
Dothan
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,465/mo
$950/mo
Dothan
💼 Wages
$59,331
$52,967
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
🔒 Crime
439 per 100K
376 per 100K
Dothan
🎓 Schools
14.3:1
17.7:1
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
👶 Childcare
$7,732/yr
$6,896/yr
Dothan
🌿 Environment
647 violations
485 violations
Dothan

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach to see what you'd need to earn in Dothan to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Dothan
-

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dothan more expensive than Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Dothan has an RPP of 83.8 compared to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach's 93.6 (100 = national average). Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Dothan is $950/mo vs $1,465/mo in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach.
What are salaries like in Dothan compared to Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The median salary in Dothan is $52,967 compared to $59,331 in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach. That's a -$6,364 difference.
Is Dothan safer than Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The violent crime rate near Dothan is 376 per 100K vs 439 per 100K near Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach (state-level data). Dothan has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Dothan to match my Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach salary by 0.90. For example, a $75,000 salary in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach would need to be $67,144 in Dothan. 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)