What salary do you need to live in Charleston, SC?
For a single person: about $86,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose SC-taxed take-home covers roughly $2,245 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.1% South Carolina income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $4,532/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,532/mo
$69,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,438/mo
$86,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $6,798/mo
$111,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $5,941/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,941/mo
$86,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,129/mo
$105,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,912/mo
$135,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $7,121/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,121/mo
$105,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,545/mo
$128,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,682/mo
$168,500/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $8,141/mo
Tight
take-home covers $8,141/mo
$122,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $9,769/mo
$151,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $12,212/mo
$195,500/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($2,245) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + South Carolina's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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