$100k a year, no longer in Reno

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of reno

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

$620

more each month than Reno ran you

Charleston costs more than Reno, and you'll feel it. The upside has to come from somewhere other than your budget.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

4% more expensive than Reno(vs $1,908/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$542/mo more in state tax than Reno

vs 0% in Reno

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$620 less than Reno

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

04a house here

$432k

25% cheaper than Reno

vs $574k in Reno

05metro size

849k

vs 565k in Reno

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Reno only logs 201 pleasant days.

Lighter on events: Reno packs 2.5× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

6% lower than Reno

vs 71/100 in Reno

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

·walk score®

92/100

3% lower than Reno

vs 95/100 in Reno

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

54% more than Reno

vs 13 nonstops in Reno

04 · see also

same energy as charleston, different zip code:

see also

asheville

$415/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

greenville

$436/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

eugene

better park access

turn the page

compare charleston with:

AshevilleGreenvilleEugene