with $100k coming in, swapping out of Roanoke

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Charleston, SC cityscape

from roanoke

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

$667

more expensive each month than Roanoke

Charleston costs more than Roanoke, 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

44% more expensive than Roanoke(vs $1,382/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$63/mo more in state tax than Roanoke

vs 5.75% in Roanoke

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$667 less than Roanoke

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

04a house here

$432k

46% more expensive than Roanoke

vs $296k in Roanoke

05metro size

849k

vs 314k in Roanoke

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Roanoke only logs 179 pleasant days.

A real upgrade on things to do: 3.4× Roanoke's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

3% lower than Roanoke

vs 69/100 in Roanoke

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

·walk score®

92/100

2% lower than Roanoke

vs 94/100 in Roanoke

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

122% more than Roanoke

vs 9 nonstops in Roanoke

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as charleston:

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