Bluffton vs Charleston
Bluffton, South Carolina versus Charleston, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bluffton and Charleston score about the same overall (48 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bluffton | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $100k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $62k |
| Home Value | $390k | $439k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.64% | 0.45% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.39% | 11.25% |
| Unemployment | 1.4% | 3.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.9 in | 52.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 247 days | 241 days |
| Summer Humidity | 72°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 110 days | 114 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 98.2 | 81.5 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 87.1 | 78.4 |
| Violent Crime | 577/100k | 1253/100k |
| Property Crime | 588/100k | 1892/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 29,375 | 149,960 |
| Median Age | 40.9 | 36.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.39 | 0.42 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+13 |
| White (%) | 73.5% | 71.6% |
| Black (%) | 8.5% | 18.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 13.1% | 4.8% |
| Asian (%) | 0.8% | 2.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 6.6/20 | 11.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 70 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.0% | 89.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 11.91 | 44.28 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bluffton or Charleston more affordable?
- Bluffton has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Bluffton's $53k and Charleston's $62k. Median rent is $2k in Bluffton versus $2k in Charleston.
- Is Bluffton or Charleston safer?
- Bluffton has the lower violent crime rate. Bluffton reports 577/100k and Charleston reports 1253/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bluffton or Charleston?
- The median home value is $390k in Bluffton and $439k in Charleston, so homes are more affordable in Bluffton.