with $100k coming in, swapping out of Wilmington

change
Charleston, SC cityscape

instead of wilmington

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

$478

the monthly cost of moving past Wilmington

Charleston costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
landable, recorded on the charleston entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,987/mo

19% more expensive than Wilmington(vs $1,675/mo)

02state income tax

6.5%

$167/mo more in state tax than Wilmington

vs 4.5% in Wilmington

03after rent

$5,805/mo

$478 less than Wilmington

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

04a house here

$432k

4% cheaper than Wilmington

vs $448k in Wilmington

05metro size

849k

vs 467k in Wilmington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

212

pleasant days a year, in charleston.

Wilmington has the edge here, logging 235 pleasant days a year.

A real upgrade on things to do: 2.0× Wilmington's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

67/100

24% higher than Wilmington

vs 54/100 in Wilmington

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

·walk score®

92/100

37% higher than Wilmington

vs 67/100 in Wilmington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

20

300% more than Wilmington

vs 5 nonstops in Wilmington

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