same $100k income, fresh start from New Orleans

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of new orleans

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

in our guides

#5

of 10

Best mid-sized US cities

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities for young professionals

read the guide
#10

of 10

Best affordable cities to live car-free

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for couples

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for live music and arts

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities for mild four-season weather

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities to live in the South

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best affordable coastal cities

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities on the East Coast

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities to live in the Southeast

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities in the Carolinas

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best warm affordable coastal cities

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities to live in your 30s

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$666

pricier each month than New Orleans

Charleston runs a little pricier than New Orleans. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

23% more expensive than New Orleans(vs $1,612/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$292/mo more in state tax than New Orleans

vs 3% in New Orleans

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$666 less than New Orleans

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

04a house here

$432k

67% more expensive than New Orleans

vs $259k in New Orleans

05metro size

849k

vs 962k in New Orleans

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

New Orleans edges ahead with 235 pleasant days.

New Orleans hosts 2.3× more events.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

22% higher than New Orleans

vs 55/100 in New Orleans

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

·walk score®

92/100

6% lower than New Orleans

vs 98/100 in New Orleans

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

49% fewer than New Orleans

vs 39 nonstops in New Orleans

04 · see also

same energy as charleston, different zip code:

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