Charleston vs Goose Creek
Charleston, South Carolina versus Goose Creek, 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 Goose Creek score about the same overall (50 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charleston | Goose Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $65k |
| Home Value | $439k | $250k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.45% | 0.53% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.25% | 10.46% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.2 in | 52.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.3 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 241 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 114 days | 109 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.5 | 86.3 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 78.4 | 40.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1253/100k | 1710/100k |
| Property Crime | 1892/100k | 1779/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 149,960 | 45,858 |
| Median Age | 36.3 | 32.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.42 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.90 | 1.07 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+12 |
| White (%) | 71.6% | 61.3% |
| Black (%) | 18.1% | 20.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 8.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 3.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 6.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 11.3/20 | 7.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 7 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.1% | 94.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 44.28 | 41.00 |
| 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 Charleston or Goose Creek more affordable?
- Charleston has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Charleston's $62k and Goose Creek's $65k. Median rent is $2k in Charleston versus $2k in Goose Creek.
- Is Charleston or Goose Creek safer?
- Charleston has the lower violent crime rate. Charleston reports 1253/100k and Goose Creek reports 1710/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charleston or Goose Creek?
- The median home value is $439k in Charleston and $250k in Goose Creek, so homes are more affordable in Goose Creek.