Head to Head
Portland, ME vs Charleston, SC
Portland leads with a Fun Score of 100, ahead by 11 points. Across 23 individual factors, Portland wins 17 and Charleston wins 5, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — Portland
- 17 of 23
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 5 of 23
| Factor | Portland, ME | Charleston, SC |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 89 Best | 86 |
| Drinks | 91 Best | 87 |
| Coffee | 86 Best | 83 |
| Live Music | 87 Best | 81 |
| Star Power | 44 | 65 Best |
| Outdoors | 89 Best | 76 |
| Culture | 91 Best | 90 |
| Events | 82 Best | 54 |
| Sports | 92 | 92 |
| Unique Hangouts | 89 Best | 67 |
| City Vibe | 92 Best | 65 |
| Climate | 28 | 80 Best |
| Transit Quality | 66 Best | 22 |
| Walkability | 89 Best | 37 |
| Higher Education | 8 | 80 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 29 Best | 11 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 26 | 21 Best |
| Traffic | 17 Best | 62 |
| Air Quality | 25 Best | 65 |
| Disaster Risk | 5 Best | 67 |
| Weather Extremes | 42 Best | 56 |
| Economic Strain | 3 Best | 11 |
| Going-Out Cost | 59 | 35 Best |
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 →