on $100k a year, leaving Providence

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

next stop after providence

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

$98

under Providence, every month

Charleston and Providence land close on cost. The reasons to move are about how you'd live, not what you'd save.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

7% cheaper than Providence(vs $2,127/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$43/mo more in state tax than Providence

vs 5.99% in Providence

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$98 more than Providence

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

04a house here

$432k

18% cheaper than Providence

vs $528k in Providence

05metro size

849k

vs 1.7M in Providence

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Providence only logs 159 pleasant days.

A month here packs 2.0× the events of Providence.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

6% higher than Providence

vs 63/100 in Providence

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

·walk score®

92/100

4% lower than Providence

vs 96/100 in Providence

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

18% more than Providence

vs 17 nonstops in Providence

04 · see also

cities that play in charleston's register:

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