Head to Head
Washington, DC vs Charleston, SC
Washington leads with a Fun Score of 93, ahead by 4 points. Across 23 individual factors, Washington wins 11 and Charleston wins 10, with 2 tied.
- Factor wins — Washington
- 11 of 23
- Tied
- 2
- Factor wins — Charleston
- 10 of 23
| Factor | Washington, DC | Charleston, SC |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 86 | 86 |
| Drinks | 86 | 87 Best |
| Coffee | 88 Best | 83 |
| Live Music | 83 Best | 81 |
| Star Power | 91 Best | 65 |
| Outdoors | 77 Best | 76 |
| Culture | 76 | 90 Best |
| Events | 88 Best | 54 |
| Sports | 91 | 92 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 66 | 67 Best |
| City Vibe | 54 | 65 Best |
| Climate | 65 | 80 Best |
| Transit Quality | 92 Best | 22 |
| Walkability | 86 Best | 37 |
| Higher Education | 44 | 80 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 90 Best | 11 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 71 | 21 Best |
| Traffic | 88 | 62 Best |
| Air Quality | 35 Best | 65 |
| Disaster Risk | 52 Best | 67 |
| Weather Extremes | 32 Best | 56 |
| Economic Strain | 74 | 11 Best |
| 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 →