Cost of living in Darlington research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Darlington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Darlington is 83, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Darlington is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Darlington ranks as the #5 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Darlington ranks as the #491 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Darlington is $130,700.
The median income in Darlington is $31,652.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Darlington has an overall cost of living index of 83, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Darlington has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than South Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Darlington ranks as #5 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Darlington ranks as the #94 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Darlington, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Darlington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Darlington is 93.
The Groceries index in Darlington is 104.
The Health index in Darlington is 73.
The Housing index in Darlington is 52.
The Transportation index in Darlington is 85.
The Utilities index in Darlington is 129.
Living Expense | Darlington | South Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 83 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 93 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 104 | 100 | 100 | |
Health | 73 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 52 | 89 | 100 | |
Transportation | 85 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 129 | 107 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Darlington is $130,700.
The Median Rent in Darlington is $543.
The Median Income in Darlington is $31,652.
The Home Value To Income in Darlington is 4.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Darlington is 0.21x.
Statistic | Darlington | South Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $130,700 | $181,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $543 | $970 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $31,652 | $58,234 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.1x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Darlington | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.01 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.12 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $13.83 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $14.0 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $41.63 | $39.05 |
Item | Darlington | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.57 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.4 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.19 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.78 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.72 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.3 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.26 | $2.34 |
Item | Darlington | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $51.67 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $102.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $59.0 | $99.13 |
Item | Darlington | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.0 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $40.0 | $50.07 |
Item | Darlington | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $248.45 | $167.67 |
Phone | $185.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Darlington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sumter, SC has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Darlington.
Florence, SC has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Darlington.
Laurinburg, NC has a cost of living index of 88, 1.1x Darlington.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Darlington |
---|---|---|---|
Sumter, SC | 42,920 | 92 | 1.1x |
Florence, SC | 39,816 | 92 | 1.1x |
Laurinburg, NC | 15,242 | 88 | 1.1x |
Lugoff, SC | 9,127 | 92 | 1.1x |
Camden, SC | 7,666 | 94 | 1.1x |
Hartsville, SC | 7,565 | 87 | 1.0x |
Bennettsville, SC | 7,306 | 85 | 1.0x |
Marion, SC | 6,472 | 87 | 1.0x |
Hamlet, NC | 6,098 | 89 | 1.1x |
Wadesboro, NC | 5,079 | 92 | 1.1x |