Should I Move To
Roughly 149,960 people live in Charleston, South Carolina. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 6% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,517/mo; the typical household pulls in $83,891. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 57/100 — a C, putting it at #241 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Charleston sits at 106 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,517/mo against $83,891 median household income), housing eats roughly 22% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $438,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 85°F in summer, 46°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 47 inches. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Crime rates land roughly average for a US city of this size. Air quality reads good (AQI 42).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Charleston is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 63/100 (grade C+) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (94/100); weakest on walkability (6/100).
For retirees, Charleston is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 55/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (94/100); weakest on walkability (6/100).
For remote workers, Charleston isn't the strongest match. It earns 55/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (94/100); weakest on walkability (6/100).
For young professionals, Charleston isn't the strongest match. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (94/100); weakest on walkability (6/100).
Charleston, South Carolina pulls a 57/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #241 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Charleston's cost-of-living index is 106 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 6% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,517/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 85°F, winter averages around 46°F, with about 47 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 6/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Charleston has about 149,960 residents, 57% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Charleston head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Charleston stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Charleston with other South Carolina cities scored on UrbRank.
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