Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Mount Pleasant, SC
VS
New Orleans, LA
🏆 Mount Pleasant leads 16 of 23 categories
Mount Pleasant
South Carolina
16
wins
Cost of Living Index
105.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$115,167 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
34 ✓ Safer
Population
90,945
New Orleans
Louisiana
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
91.1 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$51,116
Violent Crime Index
380⚠ High
Population
380,408 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Mount Pleasant, SC
Pros
Households earn $64,051 more per year on average
91% less violent crime than New Orleans
Stronger job market — unemployment is 5.2 pts lower (3.2%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (128.4 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 65.4% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 13.0:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $608,600
Higher rents — median is $1,901/mo
Cost of living runs 15% higher than New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Pros
Homes cost $327k less ($281,500 vs $608,600)
Rent averages $739/mo less ($1,162 vs $1,901)
15% cheaper overall cost of living than Mount Pleasant
Living costs sit below the national average (index 91.1)
Cons
Median income trails Mount Pleasant by $64,051/yr
Violent crime (1444.1/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (4640.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (8.4% vs 3.2%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Mount Pleasant
Median Income
$64,051
$115,167 vs $51,116/yr
Mount Pleasant
Violent Crime
91% lower
128.4 vs 1444.1 per 100k
Mount Pleasant
Unemployment
5.2 pp lower
3.2% vs 8.4% unemployment
New Orleans
Cost of Living
15% cheaper
COL index 91.1 vs 105.9 (100 = US avg)
New Orleans
Median Home Value
$327k less
$281,500 vs $608,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Mount Pleasant, SC | New Orleans, LA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 105.9⚠ High | 91.1 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $608,600⚠ High | $281,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,901⚠ High | $1,162 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $115,167 ✓ Higher | $51,116 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.2% ✓ Lower | 8.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.2 min | 23.4 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 19.7% ✓ Higher | 11.3% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 43 ✓ Safer | 316⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 34 ✓ Safer | 380⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 56 ✓ Safer | 221⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (121) ✓ Better | A- (112) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.0:1 ✓ Smaller | 14.8:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 65.4% ✓ Higher | 40.7% |
| High School or Higher | 97.7% ✓ Higher | 88.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Charleston 01 | Einstein Charter Middle Sch at Sarah Towles Reed |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 59.2°F | 61.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 91.1°F ✓ Warmer | 90.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.3" ✓ Drier | 60.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.3" | 0.1" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 90,945 | 380,408 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 42.4 ✓ Older | 37.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 72.5% ✓ Higher | 49.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% ✓ More | 19.6% |
| Over 65 | 17.5% ✓ More | 15.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Mount Pleasant's cost of living index is 105.9 vs New Orleans's 91.1 (US average = 100).
New Orleans is 15% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Mount Pleasant leads 16 of 23 categories. Mount Pleasant wins 16 and New Orleans wins 7. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Mount Pleasant to New Orleans or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($608,600 vs $281,500 median home), income ($115,167 vs $51,116), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Mount Pleasant, SC and New Orleans, LA are about 623 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.