Head to Head
Charleston, SC vs Austin, TX
Charleston leads with a Fun Score of 89, ahead by 15 points. Across 23 individual factors, Charleston wins 12 and Austin wins 8, with 3 tied.
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 3
- Factor wins — Austin
- 8 of 23
| Factor | Charleston, SC | Austin, TX |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 Best | 76 |
| Drinks | 87 Best | 77 |
| Coffee | 83 Best | 71 |
| Live Music | 81 Best | 73 |
| Star Power | 65 | 65 |
| Outdoors | 76 Best | 46 |
| Culture | 90 Best | 46 |
| Events | 54 | 77 Best |
| Sports | 92 Best | 37 |
| Unique Hangouts | 67 | 71 Best |
| City Vibe | 65 | 86 Best |
| Climate | 80 Best | 44 |
| Transit Quality | 22 | 59 Best |
| Walkability | 37 | 54 Best |
| Higher Education | 80 Best | 65 |
| Bike & Micromobility | 11 | 87 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 21 Best | 65 |
| Traffic | 62 | 56 Best |
| Air Quality | 65 Best | 82 |
| Disaster Risk | 67 | 55 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 56 | 56 |
| Economic Strain | 11 Best | 17 |
| Going-Out Cost | 35 | 35 |
Scores are 0–100 percentile ranks. For drawback factors (crime, traffic, etc.) a lower number is better — the Best badge marks whichever city has less. Full methodology →