Head to Head
Charleston, SC vs Lexington, KY
Charleston leads with a Fun Score of 89, ahead by 15 points. Across 23 individual factors, Charleston wins 12 and Lexington wins 10, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 12 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Lexington
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Charleston, SC | Lexington, KY |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 Best | 47 |
| Drinks | 87 Best | 48 |
| Coffee | 83 Best | 32 |
| Live Music | 81 Best | 35 |
| Star Power | 65 Best | 47 |
| Outdoors | 76 Best | 22 |
| Culture | 90 Best | 50 |
| Events | 54 | 75 Best |
| Sports | 92 Best | 85 |
| Unique Hangouts | 67 | 72 Best |
| City Vibe | 65 | 87 Best |
| Climate | 80 Best | 59 |
| Transit Quality | 22 | 47 Best |
| Walkability | 37 Best | 27 |
| Higher Education | 80 | 85 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 11 | 81 Best |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 21 Best | 29 |
| Traffic | 62 | 26 Best |
| Air Quality | 65 | 5 Best |
| Disaster Risk | 67 | 23 Best |
| Weather Extremes | 56 | 27 Best |
| Economic Strain | 11 Best | 27 |
| 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 →