Charleston-North Charleston Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 101.0 → 89.4
Rent Delta: -$640/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 12% lower cost of living
  • + $640/mo cheaper rent (2BR)

Cons of Moving

  • - $11K lower median salary
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Charleston-North Charleston to Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 101.0 to 89.4 (100 = US average), so a Charleston-North Charleston salary needs to be multiplied by 0.89 to hold the same purchasing power in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,787/month in Charleston-North Charleston to $1,147/month in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway - a lower monthly bill of $640, or $7,680/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $67,686 in Charleston-North Charleston versus $57,042 in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway - a raw gap of $10,644 lower. The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway labor market has 350,410 tracked jobs against 381,130 in Charleston-North Charleston, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Charleston-North Charleston and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway are 439 and 580 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 14.3:1 at origin versus 13.6:1 at destination. Our composite verdict - Less Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Charleston-North Charleston
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 101.0
RPP 89.4
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,787/mo
$1,147/mo
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
💼 Wages
$67,686
$57,042
Charleston-North Charleston
🔒 Crime
439 per 100K
580 per 100K
Charleston-North Charleston
🎓 Schools
14.3:1
13.6:1
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
👶 Childcare
$7,732/yr
N/A
Tie
🌿 Environment
647 violations
5811 violations
Charleston-North Charleston

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Charleston-North Charleston to see what you'd need to earn in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway more expensive than Charleston-North Charleston?
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway has an RPP of 89.4 compared to Charleston-North Charleston's 101.0 (100 = national average). Charleston-North Charleston is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway is $1,147/mo vs $1,787/mo in Charleston-North Charleston.
What are salaries like in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway compared to Charleston-North Charleston?
The median salary in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway is $57,042 compared to $67,686 in Charleston-North Charleston. That's a -$10,644 difference.
Is Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway safer than Charleston-North Charleston?
The violent crime rate near Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway is 580 per 100K vs 439 per 100K near Charleston-North Charleston (state-level data). Charleston-North Charleston has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway to match my Charleston-North Charleston salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Charleston-North Charleston salary by 0.89. For example, a $75,000 salary in Charleston-North Charleston would need to be $66,384 in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Less Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Less Favorable" means the origin edges ahead on balance. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)