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 | Decatur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870/mo | $801/mo | 8.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $172,800 | $170,000 | 1.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $58,902 | $55,164 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 92.6 | 87.8 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 97.8 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 96.1 | 2.3% higher 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 $100,212 in Decatur to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston and Decatur have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Charleston than in Decatur. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $80,169 in Decatur to keep the same standard of living.