Housing and tax tradeoff: Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas comes out ahead here on rent and home price. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Houston vs Charleston on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 69 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
HoustonCharleston
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 2,314,157 | 132,609 |
| Population Density | 3.6k /sq mi | N/A |
| Center Elevation | 39 ft(12 m) | 20 ft(6 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $260,121 | $572,367 |
| Median Rent | $1,528 | $2,072 |
| Median Income | $60,440 | $83,891 |
| Rent Burden | 30% | 30% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 303 days/yr | 322 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 79°F | 74°F |
| Avg. Low | 63°F | 61°F |
| Comfort Score | 69/100Good | 85/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 30°F | 28°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 76"(193 cm) | 52"(132 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 512024 modeled avg · 51 days > 100 | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 28 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 88 | 35 |
| Safety Score | 46 / 100 | 69 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.1/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | moderateModerate Risk | moderateModerate Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 61%Cable: 98% | Fiber: 39%Cable: 93% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 33.9 years | 36.3 years |
| College Educated | 35% | 57% |
| Remote Workers | 10% | 15% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Houston. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Charleston. One featured slot per city |
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