Charleston vs Plano
The short version
- Charleston is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Plano area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $465,900 in Plano and $509,700 in Charleston.
- Households earn more in Plano ($112,253 vs $92,414 median).
- Plano has more scorching days: 108 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 64.
- Charleston is growing faster: +5.8% since 2020 vs +2.6%.
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; South Carolina's top rate is 6%.
Side by side
| Charleston, SC | Plano, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 159,423 | 293,028 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.8% | +2.6% |
| People per square mile | 1,383 | 4,087 |
| Median age | 36.6 | 39.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58% | 61% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $92,414 | $112,253 |
| Median home value | $509,700 | $465,900 |
| Home value to income | 5.5× | 4.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,722 | $1,841 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.0 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 119.8 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,700 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 57% |
| Top state income tax | 6% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 7.49% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.2 | 25.4 |
| Work from home | 19% | 28% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.4% | 4% |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 6.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 60° / 39° | 58° / 38° |
| July high / low | 91° / 74° | 97° / 78° |
| Precipitation per year | 53 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 64 | 108 |
| Nights below freezing | 22 | 23 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 60% | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.7% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +61.6% | +35.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Charleston: March to May and October to November. Plano: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Charleston weather by month and Plano weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,700 in Charleston and $77,300 in Plano. Moving from Charleston to Plano, you would need about $76,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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