Killeen-Temple Charleston-North Charleston

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Killeen-Temple to Charleston-North Charleston is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.1 to 101.0 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $554/mo.

+$7,432
BLS median salary higher in Charleston-North Charleston
395 to 439
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 14.3:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$166
DOL infant care higher / yr in Charleston-North Charleston

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Neutral, depends on priorities
Cost Index: 91.1 → 101.0
Rent Delta: +$554/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $7K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 10% higher cost of living
  • - $554/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.1 to 101.0, so the same paycheck buys less in Charleston-North Charleston (ratio 1.11). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $554/mo ($6,648/yr) from $1,233 in Killeen-Temple to $1,787 in Charleston-North Charleston.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Charleston-North Charleston sits #100 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Killeen-Temple is #238/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,432 higher ($60,254 → $67,686). Labor-market size: 141,070 tracked jobs at origin vs 381,130 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors the destination: South Carolina scores 80 (A, #3/51) vs Texas at 65 (C, #19/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Killeen-Temple
Charleston-North Charleston
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 91.1
RPP 101.0
Killeen-Temple
Rent (2BR)
$1,233/mo
$1,787/mo
Killeen-Temple
Wages
$60,254
$67,686
Charleston-North Charleston
Crime
395 per 100K
439 per 100K
Killeen-Temple
Schools
14.7:1
14.3:1
Charleston-North Charleston
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$7,732/yr
Killeen-Temple
Environment
35693 violations
720 violations
Charleston-North Charleston

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44
Destination state · South Carolina
80 A #3/51
Income tax
85
Property tax
87
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
56

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

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

Equivalent salary in Charleston-North Charleston
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026