$100k salary, packing up from Washington

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Charleston, SC cityscape

if you left washington

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

$532

below Washington's monthly cost

The gap is real. Charleston costs noticeably less than Washington, every month.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

16% cheaper than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$167/mo less in state tax than Washington

vs 8.5% in Washington

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$532 more than Washington

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

04a house here

$432k

31% cheaper than Washington

vs $626k in Washington

05metro size

849k

vs 6.3M in Washington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Washington only manages 177 of those.

Noticeably quieter than Washington. About 75% fewer events on a typical month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

23% lower than Washington

vs 87/100 in Washington

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

·walk score®

92/100

6% lower than Washington

vs 98/100 in Washington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

87% fewer than Washington

vs 160 nonstops in Washington

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