same $100k income, fresh start from Portland

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Charleston, SC cityscape

next stop after 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

$18

more expensive each month than Portland

Charleston edges out a little pricier. Close enough that the decision rides on the days, not the dollars.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

12% more expensive than Portland(vs $1,781/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$187/mo less in state tax than Portland

vs 8.75% in Portland

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$18 less than Portland

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

04a house here

$432k

23% cheaper than Portland

vs $562k in Portland

05metro size

849k

vs 2.5M in Portland

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Portland only manages 178 of those.

Portland hosts 3.0× more events.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

23% lower than Portland

vs 87/100 in Portland

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

·walk score®

92/100

8% lower than Portland

vs 100/100 in Portland

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

65% fewer than Portland

vs 57 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