same $100k income, fresh start from Portland

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

swapping out of portland

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

$382

lighter monthly cost than Portland

Not a fortune, but real money. Charleston runs cheaper than Portland month over month.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

13% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$83/mo less in state tax than Portland

vs 7.5% in Portland

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$382 more than Portland

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

04a house here

$432k

20% cheaper than Portland

vs $543k in Portland

05metro size

849k

vs 566k in Portland

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Portland only logs 145 pleasant days.

1.3× the events of Portland, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

6% lower than Portland

vs 71/100 in Portland

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

·walk score®

92/100

6% lower than Portland

vs 98/100 in Portland

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

900% more than Portland

vs 2 nonstops in Portland

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