$100k a year, no longer in Columbus

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Charleston, SC cityscape

from columbus

Charleston

sc · metro 849k

photo: Connor Scott McManus / pexels

a dispatch from

charleston

SC

32.78°N

79.94°W

Charleston is pastel rowhouses, cobblestone streets, the smell of pluff mud at low tide, and shrimp and grits that should be illegal everywhere else. The historic district is a working postcard, the food scene punches way above its size, and the porches are made for sitting. Spoleto Festival every spring brings world-class arts. It's small, dense, and absurdly photogenic.

metro849k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$685

more each month than Columbus ran you

Charleston costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

32% more expensive than Columbus(vs $1,511/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$209/mo more in state tax than Columbus

vs 3.99% in Columbus

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$685 less than Columbus

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$432k

23% more expensive than Columbus

vs $350k in Columbus

05metro size

849k

vs 2.2M in Columbus

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Columbus keeps to 171 pleasant days a year.

Noticeably quieter than Columbus. About 65% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

18% higher than Columbus

vs 57/100 in Columbus

Closest outdoor draw: Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.Wilderness Area, 19.4 mi.

·walk score®

92/100

8% higher than Columbus

vs 85/100 in Columbus

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

37% fewer than Columbus

vs 32 nonstops in Columbus

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as charleston:

see also

reno

$620/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

asheville

$415/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

$436/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare charleston with:

RenoAshevilleGreenville