Charleston vs Columbia
Charleston, South Carolina versus Columbia, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Charleston and Columbia score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charleston | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $50k |
| Home Value | $439k | $226k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.45% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.25% | 11.74% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 7.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.2 in | 48.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 114 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.5 | 55.4 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 78.4 | 66.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1253/100k | 1365/100k |
| Property Crime | 1892/100k | 2858/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 149,960 | 136,754 |
| Median Age | 36.3 | 28.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.42 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.90 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+39 |
| White (%) | 71.6% | 47.9% |
| Black (%) | 18.1% | 40.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 11.3/20 | 11.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 81 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.1% | 86.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 44.28 | 12.21 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
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 Charleston or Columbia more affordable?
- Columbia has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Charleston's $62k and Columbia's $50k. Median rent is $2k in Charleston versus $1k in Columbia.
- Is Charleston or Columbia safer?
- Charleston has the lower violent crime rate. Charleston reports 1253/100k and Columbia reports 1365/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charleston or Columbia?
- The median home value is $439k in Charleston and $226k in Columbia, so homes are more affordable in Columbia.