$100k a year, no longer in Salem

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of salem

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

$157

the monthly cost of moving past Salem

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

21% more expensive than Salem(vs $1,642/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$187/mo less in state tax than Salem

vs 8.75% in Salem

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$157 less than Salem

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

04a house here

$432k

5% cheaper than Salem

vs $452k in Salem

05metro size

849k

vs 437k in Salem

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Salem only manages 201 of those.

A real upgrade on things to do: 41.0× Salem's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

3% lower than Salem

vs 69/100 in Salem

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

·walk score®

92/100

5% higher than Salem

vs 88/100 in Salem

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

0% fewer than Salem

vs 0 nonstops in Salem

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