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Cost & Benefits

Compare / Charleston to Colorado Springs

Charleston, SC vs Colorado Springs, CO

Simple answer

You'd likely save $263 a month in Colorado Springs.

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 Fair Market Rent. The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gap is $263: Charleston is higher at $1,884 versus $1,621.

South Carolina taxes wages at rates up to 6.00%. Colorado taxes wages at a flat 4.40%. Combined sales tax differs by 0.4 percentage points, higher in Colorado. The effective property tax gap is 0.05 percentage points, higher in Colorado.

After a move from South Carolina to Colorado, 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 $74,811 in Colorado Springs 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

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, CO

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
$1,621
HUD area
Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area
Census median gross rent
$1,761
All-items price parity
100.7
Goods price parity
96.1
Utilities price parity
83.2
Mean commute
24.8 min
Median household income
$90,760

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.

Same buying power

$74,811

Salary in Colorado Springs that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.

After state and federal tax

$73,638

Gross salary in Colorado Springs whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.

Rent only

$64,530

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

TaxSouth CarolinaColorado
State income tax on wagesup to 6.00%4.40% flat
Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 20267.5%7.9%
Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median0.45%0.49%

On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $1,786 a year in South Carolina and $1,969 in Colorado. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.

Benefits if you land in Colorado

Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in South Carolina and once in Colorado. This is an illustration, not your application.

  • Food stamps (SNAP)

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • Medicaid and CHIP

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • WIC

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • School meals

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • LIHEAP

    CharlestonMaybe

    Colorado SpringsMaybe

  • Earned Income Tax Credit

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • Child Tax Credit

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • Marketplace premium tax credits

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsUnlikely

  • Lifeline phone and internet

    CharlestonLikely eligible

    Colorado SpringsLikely eligible

  • SSI

    CharlestonUnlikely

    Colorado SpringsUnlikely

Marketplace premium tax credits changes. In Charleston the result is “Likely inside the 2026 subsidy range.” In Colorado Springs it is “Unlikely — Medicaid is the closer program.” Colorado expanded Medicaid, and this income is in the Medicaid range. Marketplace subsidies are usually not the program in that case.

Medicaid guide for Colorado · SNAP guide

Related comparisons

From Charleston

The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Charleston.

Nearby metros

How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.