with $100k coming in, swapping out of South Bend

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of south bend

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

$887

the monthly premium over South Bend

Charleston doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what Charleston is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

43% more expensive than South Bend(vs $1,391/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$292/mo more in state tax than South Bend

vs 3% in South Bend

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$887 less than South Bend

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

04a house here

$432k

87% more expensive than South Bend

vs $230k in South Bend

05metro size

849k

vs 324k in South Bend

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

South Bend barely cracks 157 pleasant ones.

2.4× the events of South Bend, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

26% higher than South Bend

vs 53/100 in South Bend

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

·walk score®

92/100

12% higher than South Bend

vs 82/100 in South Bend

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

122% more than South Bend

vs 9 nonstops in South Bend

04 · see also

if charleston appeals, also worth a look:

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