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 60 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 affordability, 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 |
| 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 | ||
| Sunny Days | 303 days/yr | 322 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 79°F | 74°F |
| Comfort Score | 69/100Good | 85/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 30°F | 28°F |
| Annual Rainfall | 76"(193 cm) | 52"(132 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 51 (Avg)51 days > 100 | AQI 45 (Avg)28 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Central walkability | 84 | 95 |
| Transit Score | 88 | 35 |
| Safety Score | 46 / 100 | 69 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.1/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | N/A |
| Fire Risk (FEMA) | 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 | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Houston | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Charleston |
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