City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 4.4% higher than in Charleston, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charleston, SC would need about $104,400 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,630 a month in Charleston, SC versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Charleston, SC and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,843 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Charleston, SC ($120,348 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,771 in Charleston | $104,416 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Charleston, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,843/yr.
81 Strong offer
Charleston, SC → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,843/yr.
56 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Charleston, SC | Real change, Anchorage → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $61,722 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $74,678 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,508 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,437 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $125,776 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,710 | $110,310 | $115,181 (−5.4%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $132,150 | $137,985 (+32.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $79,350 | $82,854 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $92,800 | $96,898 (−16.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.