Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Virginia instead of California, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years less
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Virginia, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
be 24.3% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Virginia, that number is 35.3% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 33.3% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Virginia, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.
be 19.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Virginia, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
make 17.8% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Virginia, the GDP per capita is $69,111 as of 2024.
Safety
be 53.9% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
California has a violent crime rate of 503 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 232 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 29.3% less likely to be a victim of property crime
California has a property crime rate of 2,303 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 1,628 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 48.1% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $360,700 in Virginia as of 2023.
pay 22.6% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in Virginia, it is $1,514 as of 2023.
be 20.4% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 67.2% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in California is 37.6 years as of 2023. In Virginia, the median age is 38.8 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 12.2% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 85.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 11.2% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In California, 25.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 27.8% as of 2023.
be 24.0% less likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Virginia, that number is 7.9% as of 2021.
be 18.1% more likely to smoke
In California, 11.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Virginia, that number is 13.7% as of 2022.
be 54.9% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 5.5% 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), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
