Cost of Living Comparisons

Over three hundred urban areas participated in the 3rd quarter 1999 survey. The average for all participating areas equals 100, and each participant's index reads as a percentage of the average for all places. For example, in the 3rd quarter of 1999, the Charleston area's relative cost of living was 104.4, or 4.4 percent above the average cost of living of all participating areas.

Selected Metro Area/All Items Index

The composite is based on six components.The component index figures for the Charleston area are as follow.

Apartment Rental
The average monthly rental cost for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, unfurnished apartment excluding all utilities except water is $677.

Housing Costs
The estimated purchase price for a newly built home with 1,800 square feet of living area in the Charleston area is $151,241. This typical home has three bedrooms and two full baths and is located in a typical mid- management executive household neighborhood. The following is the estimated purchase price for a comparable home in selected metropolitan cities:

Selected Metro Area Average Home Price

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston, the seat of Charleston County, is located 97 miles south of Myrtle Beach and 116 miles north of Hilton Head Island. Famous for its antebellum charm, Charleston sits on a natural harbor on a peninsula of the South Carolina coast. Charleston City Population 96,650 County Population 309,969 Metro Population 549,033 Median Household Income $35,295 Unemployment Rate 3.7% Crime Index* 150 *(percent of the national average. For more information on the homefair.com crime index, see the Relocation Crime Lab on our web site) Charleston Winter Temperature Range 38/62 Spring Temperature Range 48/83 Summer Temperature Range 72/90 Fall Temperature Range 47/85 Annual Precipitation 51.53' Annual Snowfall 0.0' Charleston Cost of Living Index (U.S. average = 100) 115.49 3-Bedroom House Price (U.S. $) $258,601 2-Bedroom Apartment Rent (U.S. $) $650 Property Tax Rate 1.27% Sales Tax (state and local) 6.0% Charleston Student/Teacher Ratio 21.0/1 Expenditures Per Pupil $4,745/1 Hospitals 9 Physicians (county) 1,680 Charleston Medical Univ of South Carolina Charleston Air Force Base US Navy Charleston County School District Berkley County School District Roper Hospitals Charleston County Westvaco Corporation US Postal Service Robert Bosch Corp. Charleston Charleston Southern University The Citadel College of Charleston Medical Univ. of South Carolina Trident Technical College Charleston The Post & Courier Charleston Chamber of Commerce (843) 577-2510 Dept. of Motor Vehicles (843) 727-2064 School Board (843) 937-6300 Main Public Library (843) 723-1645 Information contained in this report was obtained from a broad spectrum or sources which we believe reliable. Every effort has been made to ensure that the data is accurate and complete. We make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the data or information contained in this report.