City comparison
Austin, TX vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charleston, SC are 3.0% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $103,000 in Charleston, SC to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,630 in Charleston, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Charleston, SC ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,953 in Charleston | $97,132 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Charleston, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
58 Fair offer
Charleston, SC → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Charleston, SC | Real change, Austin → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,020 | $59,270 (−3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $132,150 | $128,359 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $79,350 | $77,074 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $92,800 | $90,138 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.