Sumter, SC vs Dalton, GA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Dalton, GA is 2.1% more expensive than Sumter, SC (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Sumter works out to about $76,600 in Dalton, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is everyday costs rather than housing: goods are 0.1% lower and other services 0.4% higher in Dalton, while housing is 4.1% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,402 a month in Dalton and $1,467 in Sumter, $780 a year less in Dalton (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $245,000 in Dalton and $200,000 in Sumter.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (2.1%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Everyday costs, not housing, drive the gap between Sumter and Dalton
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.0 | 89.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 |
| Housing (rents) | 60.8 | 63.3 |
| Utilities | 87.3 | 88.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.7 |
| Category | Sumter | Dalton | Dalton vs Sumter |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.0 | 89.8 | +2.1% |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.3 | −0.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 60.8 | 63.3 | +4.1% |
| Utilities | 87.3 | 88.8 | +1.7% |
| Other services | 98.3 | 98.7 | +0.4% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,467 | $1,402 | −4.4% |
| Typical home value | $200,000 | $245,000 | +22.4% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Sumter | $75,000 | $76,600 | +2.1% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Sumter and Dalton has widened since 2008: 0.1 points then, 1.8 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 89.4 | 89.3 |
| 2009 | 87.6 | 85.2 |
| 2010 | 91.8 | 89.3 |
| 2011 | 93.9 | 87.5 |
| 2012 | 89.6 | 88.5 |
| 2013 | 90.2 | 87.9 |
| 2014 | 89.1 | 89.0 |
| 2015 | 89.3 | 88.7 |
| 2016 | 87.1 | 87.6 |
| 2017 | 90.2 | 85.3 |
| 2018 | 87.6 | 88.8 |
| 2019 | 85.8 | 87.6 |
| 2020 | 81.4 | 84.5 |
| 2021 | 86.4 | 90.7 |
| 2022 | 89.9 | 90.4 |
| 2023 | 86.8 | 90.4 |
| 2024 | 88.0 | 89.8 |
Goods
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.4 | 94.0 |
| 2009 | 95.2 | 91.1 |
| 2010 | 96.9 | 96.2 |
| 2011 | 96.8 | 94.2 |
| 2012 | 96.8 | 90.8 |
| 2013 | 97.0 | 93.2 |
| 2014 | 97.7 | 91.5 |
| 2015 | 96.4 | 90.9 |
| 2016 | 97.1 | 92.3 |
| 2017 | 97.0 | 91.6 |
| 2018 | 95.3 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.4 |
| 2020 | 95.4 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 96.1 | 95.8 |
| 2022 | 94.5 | 95.0 |
| 2023 | 95.9 | 96.3 |
| 2024 | 96.3 | 96.3 |
Housing (rents)
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 59.2 | 69.9 |
| 2009 | 55.0 | 62.3 |
| 2010 | 67.3 | 70.0 |
| 2011 | 73.1 | 62.9 |
| 2012 | 54.7 | 64.8 |
| 2013 | 59.5 | 59.6 |
| 2014 | 59.2 | 61.7 |
| 2015 | 57.8 | 64.0 |
| 2016 | 52.0 | 60.5 |
| 2017 | 58.4 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 57.0 | 57.9 |
| 2019 | 52.7 | 58.4 |
| 2020 | 46.0 | 49.9 |
| 2021 | 50.1 | 62.5 |
| 2022 | 65.5 | 63.2 |
| 2023 | 53.9 | 62.9 |
| 2024 | 60.8 | 63.3 |
Utilities
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 88.3 | 84.0 |
| 2009 | 88.7 | 82.3 |
| 2010 | 91.3 | 84.4 |
| 2011 | 92.5 | 88.9 |
| 2012 | 96.0 | 93.4 |
| 2013 | 95.9 | 92.5 |
| 2014 | 97.7 | 94.7 |
| 2015 | 97.4 | 95.6 |
| 2016 | 96.7 | 93.8 |
| 2017 | 94.0 | 94.8 |
| 2018 | 93.5 | 88.7 |
| 2019 | 96.1 | 90.6 |
| 2020 | 95.4 | 91.4 |
| 2021 | 91.0 | 90.7 |
| 2022 | 88.8 | 92.1 |
| 2023 | 85.8 | 87.7 |
| 2024 | 87.3 | 88.8 |
Other services
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.5 | 95.2 |
| 2009 | 98.1 | 92.0 |
| 2010 | 99.7 | 93.5 |
| 2011 | 101.1 | 94.4 |
| 2012 | 101.0 | 97.9 |
| 2013 | 100.5 | 97.5 |
| 2014 | 100.2 | 98.4 |
| 2015 | 100.8 | 97.5 |
| 2016 | 102.2 | 96.1 |
| 2017 | 100.5 | 94.5 |
| 2018 | 97.9 | 97.5 |
| 2019 | 95.7 | 95.6 |
| 2020 | 95.0 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 99.9 | 99.4 |
| 2022 | 99.4 | 99.5 |
| 2023 | 97.9 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 98.3 | 98.7 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,402 in Dalton vs $1,467 in Sumter
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $819 | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $801 | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $824 | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $832 | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $845 | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $839 | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $837 | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $852 | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $869 | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $859 | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $868 | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $883 | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $894 | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $913 | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $902 | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $922 | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $922 | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $932 | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $933 | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $955 | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $969 | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $981 | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,014 | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,022 | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,045 | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,081 | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,097 | – | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,168 | – | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,177 | – | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,194 | – | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,213 | – | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,237 | – | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,264 | – | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,280 | – | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,311 | $1,242 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,316 | $1,292 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,332 | $1,308 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,353 | $1,312 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,379 | $1,342 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,391 | $1,335 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,387 | $1,332 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,394 | $1,352 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,430 | $1,363 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,433 | $1,405 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,439 | $1,389 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,467 | $1,402 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $245,000 in Dalton vs $200,000 in Sumter
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Sumter, SC
- Dalton, GA
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Sumter, SC | Dalton, GA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $125K | $112K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $127K | $114K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $129K | $116K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $128K | $117K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $128K | $118K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $128K | $120K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $129K | $121K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $131K | $124K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $129K | $126K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $129K | $129K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $131K | $132K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $133K | $135K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $133K | $137K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $137K | $138K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $139K | $141K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $142K | $142K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $148K | $145K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $153K | $148K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $153K | $151K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $158K | $155K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $159K | $156K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $160K | $157K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $164K | $162K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $167K | $168K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $170K | $174K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $173K | $183K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $176K | $192K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $179K | $200K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $185K | $209K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $189K | $215K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $192K | $218K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $192K | $216K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $192K | $215K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $196K | $220K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $198K | $226K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $198K | $230K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $199K | $233K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $203K | $238K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $202K | $240K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $202K | $241K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $205K | $244K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $201K | $245K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $198K | $245K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $200K | $246K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $203K | $248K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $201K | $247K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $200K | $245K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.