``Doing More For Less'' Puts Charleston-based Military in Budget Spotlight.

CHARLESTON S.C. -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston Personnel Cost Lower than Other Entities in the United States 

Affordable living in Charleston, South Carolina means smart business for the U.S. military's high-tech programs.

Recent analysis of a U.S. Navy study shows the U.S. Defense Department is saving millions because of Charleston's affordable cost-of-living and the region's efficient personnel costs. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston (SSC-Charleston) was deemed by the U.S. Navy, through an independent study two years ago, as offering the lowest cost of all such facilities in the Navy. A recently completed analysis of "outside costs" not factored into the original Navy study further highlights the cost efficiency of the Charleston operations.

Data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics illustrates that overall wages in the Charleston region are well below San Diego, Washington, D.C., Norfolk, VA, and Boston - operation locations currently performing similar work as SSC-Charleston. Additionally, wages in technology sectors including engineering and information technology are drastically lower than these other markets. For SSC-Charleston's 7,000 contractors, the cost differential in Charleston equates to a savings to the government of between $12.6 million and $222 million in annual labor costs.

In addition to lower labor costs, the Charleston region's overall cost of living is lower than the other regions studied. According to the ACCRA Third Quarter 2004 Cost of Living Index, the overall cost of living in the Charleston region was between five to nearly fifty percentage points below the other four markets. Average housing prices were also lower, with the average price in the Charleston region for a 2,400 square foot home averaging $229,315 in the third quarter 2004, compared to $266,775 in Norfolk and $597,641 in San Diego.

SSC-Charleston was named the most efficient and cost effective of the U.S. Navy's operations in the 2003 study commissioned by the Secretary of the Navy. At that time, SSC-Charleston's cost-to-contract was 61 percent of the U. S. Navy's average.

The overall positive economic factors in Charleston along with the model of business efficiency demonstrated by SSC-Charleston since its formation have enabled its business to triple in the last five years. Innovation, creativity and transformation of the business model have all contributed to the great success.

ACCRA is a nonprofit organization promoting excellence in research for community and economic development. Formed in 1961, ACCRA has been publishing the Cost of Living Index since 1968. The Cost of Living Index has been widely recognized by sources such as the Wall Street Journal, American Demographics, Money Magazine and U.S. Bureau of the Census. The referenced cost comparison was conducted by the Center for Business Research, a department of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.