Compare / Charleston to Chicago
Charleston, SC vs Chicago, IL
Simple answer
You'd likely save $127 a month in Charleston.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is Census rent. Census median gross rent differs by $245, with Charleston higher.
South Carolina taxes wages at rates up to 6.00%. Illinois taxes wages at a flat 4.95%. Combined sales tax differs by 1.5 percentage points, higher in Illinois. The effective property tax gap is 1.48 percentage points, higher in Illinois.
After a move from South Carolina to Illinois, these benefit results change for a family of four at $40,000 and a single adult at $18,000: Marketplace premium tax credits, Medicaid and CHIP.
A $75,000 salary in Charleston lines up with about $76,956 in Chicago on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
Charleston
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,884
- HUD area
- Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA
- Census median gross rent
- $1,714
- All-items price parity
- 101.0
- Goods price parity
- 96.3
- Utilities price parity
- 88.2
- Mean commute
- 29.4 min
- Median household income
- $90,307
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $2,011
- HUD area
- Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $1,469
- All-items price parity
- 103.6
- Goods price parity
- 107.3
- Utilities price parity
- 83.6
- Mean commute
- 30.9 min
- Median household income
- $90,770
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$76,956
Salary in Chicago that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$77,667
Gross salary in Chicago whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$80,056
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | South Carolina | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | up to 6.00% | 4.95% flat |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 7.5% | 9.0% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 0.45% | 1.92% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $1,786 a year in South Carolina and $7,694 in Illinois. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in Illinois
Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in South Carolina and once in Illinois. This is an illustration, not your application.
Food stamps (SNAP)
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
Medicaid and CHIP
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
WIC
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
School meals
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
LIHEAP
CharlestonMaybe
ChicagoMaybe
Earned Income Tax Credit
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
Child Tax Credit
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
Marketplace premium tax credits
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoUnlikely
Lifeline phone and internet
CharlestonLikely eligible
ChicagoLikely eligible
SSI
CharlestonUnlikely
ChicagoUnlikely
| Program | Charleston | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Food stamps (SNAP) | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Likely eligible | Unlikely |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
Marketplace premium tax credits changes. In Charleston the result is “Likely inside the 2026 subsidy range.” In Chicago it is “Unlikely — Medicaid is the closer program.” Illinois expanded Medicaid, and this income is in the Medicaid range. Marketplace subsidies are usually not the program in that case.
Related comparisons
From Charleston
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Charleston.
- Charleston and San Francisco · rent gap $1,813
- Charleston and San Jose · rent gap $1,388
- Charleston and Boston · rent gap $1,124
- Charleston and New York · rent gap $1,087
- Charleston and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,080
- Charleston and San Diego · rent gap $939
- Charleston and McAllen · rent gap $867
- Charleston and Wichita · rent gap $841
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.