on $100k a year, leaving Chicago

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

from chicago

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

$54

lighter monthly cost than Chicago

On paper, Charleston and Chicago are twins. In practice they live very differently.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

8% cheaper than Chicago(vs $2,170/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$129/mo more in state tax than Chicago

vs 4.95% in Chicago

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$54 more than Chicago

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

04a house here

$432k

18% more expensive than Chicago

vs $365k in Chicago

05metro size

849k

vs 9.3M in Chicago

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Chicago keeps to 153 pleasant days a year.

Noticeably quieter than Chicago. About 97% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

4% lower than Chicago

vs 70/100 in Chicago

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

·walk score®

92/100

8% lower than Chicago

vs 100/100 in Chicago

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

91% fewer than Chicago

vs 217 nonstops in Chicago

04 · see also

neighbors of charleston on the map of tradeoffs:

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