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 | North Charleston | Oak Park | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,288/mo | $1,409/mo | 8.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $243,300 | $440,500 | 44.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,534 | $103,264 | 43.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 104.0 | 6.7% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 90.2 | 86.0 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 99.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 97.2 | 100.1 | 2.8% 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 North Charleston, you'd need $100,077 in Oak Park to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
North Charleston and Oak Park have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Oak Park than in North Charleston. If you earn $80,000 in North Charleston, you'd need about $80,061 in Oak Park to keep the same standard of living.