on $100k a year, leaving Memphis

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

from memphis

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

$1,092

pricier each month than Memphis

Charleston costs noticeably more than Memphis. You'd be paying for Charleston itself, not for breathing room around it.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

38% more expensive than Memphis(vs $1,436/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$542/mo more in state tax than Memphis

vs 0% in Memphis

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$1,092 less than Memphis

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

04a house here

$432k

77% more expensive than Memphis

vs $244k in Memphis

05metro size

849k

vs 1.3M in Memphis

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Memphis keeps to 185 pleasant days a year.

A similar weekend lineup to Memphis.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

20% higher than Memphis

vs 56/100 in Memphis

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

·walk score®

92/100

3% higher than Memphis

vs 89/100 in Memphis

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

37% fewer than Memphis

vs 32 nonstops in Memphis

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