Savannah Sumter

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Savannah to Sumter is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 95.2 to 88.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent falls by $404/mo.

-$6,813
BLS median salary lower in Sumter
300 to 439
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.4:1 to 14.3:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$1,141
DOL infant care higher / 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
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 95.2 → 88.0
Rent Delta: -$404/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 7% lower cost of living
  • + $404/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $7K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP falls from 95.2 to 88.0, so each dollar covers more in Sumter (ratio 0.92). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent drops $404/mo ($4,848/yr) from $1,680 in Savannah to $1,276 in Sumter.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (4 destination wins · 3 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Sumter sits #11 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Savannah is #243/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $6,813 lower ($62,840 → $56,027). Labor-market size: 180,810 tracked jobs at origin vs 28,110 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Carolina scores 80 (A, #3/51) vs Georgia at 68 (C, #10/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Savannah
Sumter
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 95.2
RPP 88.0
Sumter
Rent (2BR)
$1,680/mo
$1,276/mo
Sumter
Wages
$62,840
$56,027
Savannah
Crime
300 per 100K
439 per 100K
Savannah
Schools
14.4:1
14.3:1
Sumter
Childcare
$6,591/yr
$7,732/yr
Savannah
Environment
2771 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 · Georgia
68 C #10/51
Income tax
88
Property tax
74
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
48
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 Savannah 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