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 | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870/mo | $1,235/mo | 29.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $172,800 | $235,000 | 26.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,902 | $60,440 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 99.8 | 2.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.6 | 98.7 | 6.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 96.1 | 4.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 94.2 | 4.4% 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 $123,801 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston, WV is about 19.2% cheaper overall than Houston, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% lower in Charleston than in Houston. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $99,041 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.