City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Charleston, SC are 2.6% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $102,600 in Charleston, SC to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,630 a month in Charleston, SC versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Charleston, SC and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $651 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Boise City, ID.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Boise City, ID to Charleston, SC changes real buying power by −2.5%, purely from prices.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,613 in Charleston | $97,453 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Charleston, SC
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$651/yr.
59 Fair offer
Charleston, SC → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$651/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Charleston, SC | Real change, Boise City → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $61,020 | $59,466 (−2.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $132,150 | $128,785 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $79,350 | $77,329 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $92,800 | $90,437 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.