Charleston SC vs Quincy MA — 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%

Quincy, MA

Massachusetts · Population: 101,361

Median HH Income$95,711
Median Home Price$679,883
Unemployment7.1%
Bachelor's+48.6%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population

Charleston

152,014

Charleston +

Quincy

101,361

Pop. Density / sq mi

Lower = more space

Charleston

N/A

Quincy

N/A

Median Age

Charleston

36.1

Charleston +

Quincy

39.0

Foreign Born

Charleston

5.4%

Quincy

32.7%

Quincy +

White

Charleston

72.9%

Charleston +

Quincy

55.6%

Black

Charleston

17.4%

Charleston +

Quincy

6.5%

Asian

Charleston

2.2%

Quincy

29.2%

Quincy +

Hispanic

Charleston

5.9%

Charleston +

Quincy

5.8%

Spanish at Home

Charleston

N/A

Quincy

N/A

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Population	152,014	101,361	Charleston +
Pop. Density / sq miLower = more space	N/A	N/A	-
Median Age	36.1	39.0	Charleston +
Foreign Born	5.4%	32.7%	Quincy +
White	72.9%	55.6%	Charleston +
Black	17.4%	6.5%	Charleston +
Asian	2.2%	29.2%	Quincy +
Hispanic	5.9%	5.8%	Charleston +
Spanish at Home	N/A	N/A	-

Economy

Median HH Income

Charleston

$90,038

Quincy

$95,711

Quincy +

Per Capita Income

Charleston

$58,583

Charleston +

Quincy

$53,273

Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)

BEA MSA-level

Charleston

$54,550

Quincy

$85,405

Quincy +

Unemployment Rate

Charleston

3.4%

Charleston +

Quincy

7.1%

Poverty Rate

Charleston

12.0%

Quincy

11.4%

Quincy +

Bachelor's Degree+

Charleston

57.7%

Charleston +

Quincy

48.6%

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Median HH Income	$90,038	$95,711	Quincy +
Per Capita Income	$58,583	$53,273	Charleston +
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)BEA MSA-level	$54,550	$85,405	Quincy +
Unemployment Rate	3.4%	7.1%	Charleston +
Poverty Rate	12.0%	11.4%	Quincy +
Bachelor's Degree+	57.7%	48.6%	Charleston +

Housing

Median Home Value

Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS

Charleston

$593,739

Charleston +

Quincy

$679,883

Homeownership Rate

Charleston

55.6%

Charleston +

Quincy

45.0%

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Median Home ValueZillow ZHVI / Census ACS	$593,739	$679,883	Charleston +
Homeownership Rate	55.6%	45.0%	Charleston +

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Charleston

398

Quincy

326

Quincy +

Property Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Charleston

1999

Quincy

1086

Quincy +

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Violent Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	398	326	Quincy +
Property Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	1999	1086	Quincy +

Health

Obesity Rate

CDC PLACES

Charleston

28.7%

Quincy

22.9%

Quincy +

Diabetes Rate

CDC PLACES

Charleston

9.5%

Charleston +

Quincy

10.1%

Poor Mental Health

CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month

Charleston

15.1%

Charleston +

Quincy

15.5%

No Health Insurance

CDC PLACES

Charleston

8.7%

Quincy

4.9%

Quincy +

Binge Drinking

CDC PLACES

Charleston

22.9%

Quincy

15.6%

Quincy +

Current Smokers

CDC PLACES

Charleston

9.5%

Charleston +

Quincy

11.0%

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Obesity RateCDC PLACES	28.7%	22.9%	Quincy +
Diabetes RateCDC PLACES	9.5%	10.1%	Charleston +
Poor Mental HealthCDC PLACES — 14+ days/month	15.1%	15.5%	Charleston +
No Health InsuranceCDC PLACES	8.7%	4.9%	Quincy +
Binge DrinkingCDC PLACES	22.9%	15.6%	Quincy +
Current SmokersCDC PLACES	9.5%	11.0%	Charleston +

Climate

Avg Annual Temp

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Charleston

65.9°F

Quincy

N/A

Annual Precipitation

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Charleston

51.0 in

Quincy

N/A

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Avg Annual TempNOAA 1991–2020 normal	65.9°F	N/A	-
Annual PrecipitationNOAA 1991–2020 normal	51.0 in	N/A	-

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg

EPA AQS (state-level est.)

Charleston

8.6 µg/m³

Quincy

7.2 µg/m³

Quincy +

Good Air Days

AQI ≤ 50

Charleston

75.0%

Quincy

75.0%

Tie

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
PM2.5 Annual AvgEPA AQS (state-level est.)	8.6 µg/m³	7.2 µg/m³	Quincy +
Good Air DaysAQI ≤ 50	75.0%	75.0%	Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time

Census ACS

Charleston

25.4 min

Charleston +

Quincy

37.6 min

Metric	Charleston, SC	Quincy, MA	Better
Mean Commute TimeCensus ACS	25.4 min	37.6 min	Charleston +

Which City is Right for You?

Quincy leads in median household income at $95,711, while charleston offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $593,739. On public safety, Quincy is safer with a violent crime rate of 326 per 100,000 residents, compared to 398 in Charleston. Charleston has a lower unemployment rate at 3.4%, and Quincy has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 7.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Quincy scores better with a lower obesity rate of 22.9%.

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About Charleston & Quincy

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