City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Charleston | Middletown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,517/mo | $1,312/mo | 15.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $438,900 | $257,800 | 70.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $83,891 | $75,120 | 11.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 98.4 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.2 | 131.2 | 31.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 100.6 | 1.7% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.2 | 103.3 | 5.8% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Charleston, you'd need $100,019 in Middletown to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston and Middletown have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Middletown than in Charleston. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $80,015 in Middletown to keep the same standard of living.