$100k a year, no longer in Boston

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Charleston, SC cityscape

from boston

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

$1,033

less monthly outlay than Boston

Charleston is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

37% cheaper than Boston(vs $3,145/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$125/mo more in state tax than Boston

vs 5% in Boston

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$1,033 more than Boston

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

04a house here

$432k

44% cheaper than Boston

vs $771k in Boston

05metro size

849k

vs 4.9M in Boston

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Boston only manages 160 of those.

Noticeably quieter than Boston. About 76% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

6% lower than Boston

vs 71/100 in Boston

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

·walk score®

92/100

6% lower than Boston

vs 98/100 in Boston

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

81% fewer than Boston

vs 103 nonstops in Boston

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