Quality of life comparison
If you lived in West Virginia instead of Alabama, you would:
Economy
be 91.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Alabama, 2.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In West Virginia, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 10.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Alabama, 14.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In West Virginia, however, that number is 16.3% as of 2023.
Safety
be 33.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Alabama has a violent crime rate of 397 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 266 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.3% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Alabama has a property crime rate of 1,671 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 1,198 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 20.2% less for a home
The median home value in Alabama is $195,100 as of 2023, compared to $155,600 in West Virginia as of 2023.
pay 11.7% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Alabama is $963 as of 2023, while in West Virginia, it is $850 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 32.2% less likely to be uninsured
In Alabama, 9.0% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.4 years older on average
The median age in Alabama is 39.3 years as of 2023. In West Virginia, the median age is 42.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 27.0% less densely populated
Alabama has a population density of 38.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 28.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 18.1% less likely to be food insecure
In Alabama, 14.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In West Virginia, that number is 11.8% as of 2021.
be 24.1% more likely to smoke
In Alabama, 17.0% of adults smoke as of 2022. In West Virginia, that number is 21.1% as of 2022.
be 63.6% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Alabama, 2.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 0.8% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
