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Moving Guides/Charleston-North Charleston

Moving to Charleston-North Charleston

What you need to know before relocating to Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina. Data-driven insights on housing, jobs, safety, and quality of life.

Is Charleston-North Charleston a Good Place to Live?

Based on data across cost of living, job market, safety, and education, Charleston-North Charleston compares favorably on multiple dimensions. Highlights include median household income ($85,165) exceeds the national median; low unemployment rate (2.5%) signals a strong job market; high school graduation rate of 90%.

Charleston-North Charleston at a Glance

Population
849K
Median Income
$85,165
Median Rent
$1,641/mo
Median Home Price
$384,800
Unemployment
2.5%
Avg Commute
368151 min

Cost of Living in Charleston-North Charleston

The median rent in Charleston-North Charleston is $1,641/month, while the median home value is $384,800. With a median household income of $85,165, residents spend roughly 23% of monthly income on rent.

Overall, the Charleston-North Charleston metro area is classified as average compared to other US metros.

Rent vs. National Avg
17% above
Home Price vs. National Avg
26% above

Job Market

Charleston-North Charleston has a median household income of $85,165, which is 14% above the national median. The local unemployment rate is 2.5%, compared to the national average of 3.7%.

Safety in Charleston-North Charleston

The violent crime rate in Charleston-North Charleston is 471 per 100,000 residents, which is 24% above the national average of 380.

Property crime rate: 2193 per 100,000 residents.

Education in South Carolina

South Carolina has a high school graduation rate of 90% and per-pupil spending of $14,884/year. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1.

33% of South Carolina adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Healthcare Access

South Carolina has 258 physicians per 100,000 residents, a 9.8% uninsured rate, and 2.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people. Life expectancy in South Carolina is 76.4 years.

Pros and Cons of Living in Charleston-North Charleston

+Pros

  • Median household income ($85,165) exceeds the national median
  • Low unemployment rate (2.5%) signals a strong job market
  • High school graduation rate of 90%

-Cons

  • Rent ($1,641/mo) is above the national average
  • Home prices ($384,800) are above the US median
  • Longer-than-average commute (368151 min)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Charleston-North Charleston a good place to live?

Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina has several attributes that make it an attractive place to live, including median household income ($85,165) exceeds the national median and low unemployment rate (2.5%) signals a strong job market. It scores well on multiple quality-of-life metrics relative to the national average.

What is the cost of living in Charleston-North Charleston?

The median rent in Charleston-North Charleston is $1,641/month and the median home value is $384,800. The median household income is $85,165. Overall the metro is considered average.

Is Charleston-North Charleston safe?

Charleston-North Charleston has a violent crime rate of 471 incidents per 100,000 residents. The national average is approximately 380 per 100,000.

What is the job market like in Charleston-North Charleston?

Charleston-North Charleston has an unemployment rate of 2.5%, compared to the national average of 3.7%. The median household income is $85,165.

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