$100k a year, no longer in Salinas

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of salinas

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

$1,060

under Salinas, every month

In Charleston, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

29% cheaper than Salinas(vs $2,813/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$233/mo less in state tax than Salinas

vs 9.3% in Salinas

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$1,060 more than Salinas

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

04a house here

$432k

50% cheaper than Salinas

vs $862k in Salinas

05metro size

849k

vs 431k in Salinas

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Salinas has the edge here, logging 335 pleasant days a year.

·outdoorscore

67/100

6% lower than Salinas

vs 71/100 in Salinas

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

·walk score®

92/100

16% higher than Salinas

vs 79/100 in Salinas

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

233% more than Salinas

vs 6 nonstops in Salinas

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