same $100k income, fresh start from Baltimore

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

next stop after baltimore

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

$23

cheaper each month than Baltimore

Charleston and Baltimore land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

6% more expensive than Baltimore(vs $1,868/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$142/mo less in state tax than Baltimore

vs 8.2% in Baltimore

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$23 more than Baltimore

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

04a house here

$432k

5% more expensive than Baltimore

vs $412k in Baltimore

05metro size

849k

vs 2.8M in Baltimore

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Baltimore only logs 168 pleasant days.

But the calendar thins out: Baltimore stays 1.6× busier.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

2% higher than Baltimore

vs 66/100 in Baltimore

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

·walk score®

92/100

6% lower than Baltimore

vs 98/100 in Baltimore

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

72% fewer than Baltimore

vs 72 nonstops in Baltimore

04 · see also

if charleston appeals, also worth a look:

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