Charleston SC vs Colorado Springs CO — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Charleston, SC

South Carolina · Population: 152,014

  • Median HH Income$90,038
  • Median Home Price$593,739
  • Unemployment3.4%
  • Bachelor's+57.7%

Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado · Population: 483,099

  • Median HH Income$83,198
  • Median Home Price$451,202
  • Unemployment5.5%
  • Bachelor's+41.9%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population
Charleston
152,014
Colorado Springs
483,099
Colorado Springs +
Pop. Density / sq mi
Lower = more space
Charleston
N/A
Colorado Springs
N/A
Median Age
Charleston
36.1
Colorado Springs
35.6
Colorado Springs +
Foreign Born
Charleston
5.4%
Colorado Springs
7.4%
Colorado Springs +
White
Charleston
72.9%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
72.3%
Black
Charleston
17.4%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
5.8%
Asian
Charleston
2.2%
Colorado Springs
3.0%
Colorado Springs +
Hispanic
Charleston
5.9%
Colorado Springs
18.7%
Colorado Springs +
Spanish at Home
Charleston
N/A
Colorado Springs
N/A

Economy

Median HH Income
Charleston
$90,038
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
$83,198
Per Capita Income
Charleston
$58,583
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
$44,893
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)
BEA MSA-level
Charleston
$54,550
Colorado Springs
$76,653
Colorado Springs +
Unemployment Rate
Charleston
3.4%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
5.5%
Poverty Rate
Charleston
12.0%
Colorado Springs
9.3%
Colorado Springs +
Bachelor's Degree+
Charleston
57.7%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
41.9%

Housing

Median Home Value
Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS
Charleston
$593,739
Colorado Springs
$451,202
Colorado Springs +
Homeownership Rate
Charleston
55.6%
Colorado Springs
61.3%
Colorado Springs +

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Charleston
398
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
512
Property Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Charleston
1999
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
3234

Health

Obesity Rate
CDC PLACES
Charleston
28.7%
Colorado Springs
28.4%
Colorado Springs +
Diabetes Rate
CDC PLACES
Charleston
9.5%
Colorado Springs
9.0%
Colorado Springs +
Poor Mental Health
CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month
Charleston
15.1%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
18.0%
No Health Insurance
CDC PLACES
Charleston
8.7%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
9.9%
Binge Drinking
CDC PLACES
Charleston
22.9%
Colorado Springs
16.5%
Colorado Springs +
Current Smokers
CDC PLACES
Charleston
9.5%
Charleston +
Colorado Springs
11.0%

Climate

Avg Annual Temp
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Charleston
65.9°F
Colorado Springs
49.0°F
Colorado Springs +
Annual Precipitation
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Charleston
51.0 in
Colorado Springs
16.5 in
Colorado Springs +

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg
EPA AQS (state-level est.)
Charleston
8.6 µg/m³
Colorado Springs
6.2 µg/m³
Colorado Springs +
Good Air Days
AQI ≤ 50
Charleston
75.0%
Colorado Springs
75.0%
Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time
Census ACS
Charleston
25.4 min
Colorado Springs
24.1 min
Colorado Springs +

Which City is Right for You?

Charleston leads in median household income at $90,038, while colorado Springs offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $451,202. On public safety, Charleston is safer with a violent crime rate of 398 per 100,000 residents, compared to 512 in Colorado Springs. Charleston has a lower unemployment rate at 3.4%, and Colorado Springs has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 6.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Colorado Springs scores better with a lower obesity rate of 28.4%.

Compare More Cities

About Charleston & Colorado Springs